Football is such a famous sport worldwide that from toddlers to adults everyone plays it. Competitions of football have been held all over the world, whether it’s FIFA or UEFA.
Knowing about the most popular football teams is a must for a novice football fan. Social media, sponsorship deals, and team value determine the ranking of the most popular football teams. As social media is a growing platform, gaining popularity there has become necessary for every football team. The top teams Barcelona and Real Madrid, have more than 100 million followers on Instagram individually. Following is a list of the most popular football teams in the world:
1. Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid Club De Futbol is a professional football club based in Madrid. It was founded in 1902 as a Madrid football club and was given the title “Real” by King Alfonso XIII in 1920, which means royal in Spanish. It is also known as La Casa Blanca or the white house due to its predominant white-colored dress code.
Real Madrid is recognized as the FIFA club of the 20th century with fans all over the world. It has broken various world records and earned many international distinctions. Its most popular member is Cristiano Ronaldo, with over 340 million followers on Instagram. On Twitter, Real Madrid holds distinction in its Aran following.
Team Value: 4,329 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 103 million
Facebook Page Likes: 111.2 million
Twitter Followers: 38.4 million (1.3 million French, 9.3 million Arabic, 391k Japanese, 12.7 million English)
2. FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona, also known as Barca, is a Spanish football club based in Barcelona, Spain. It was founded in 1899 by a group of footballers from Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and the UK led by Joan Gamper, a Swiss athlete. This 122-year-old club is currently led by Ronald Koeman as its coach (as of 2021).
This club is a symbol of Catalan culture for many, and it has a separate account for dedicated followers who speak Catalan. Barcelona has earned twenty European and worldwide titles and 75 domestic trophies; its most well-known player is Leo Messi, with more than 265 million followers on Instagram.
Team Value: 4,021 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 103 million
Facebook Page Likes: 103 million
Twitter Followers: 38 million (6.4 million Catalan, 17.3 million Spanish, 1.2 million Brazilian, 319k Japanese, 456k Indonesian, 3.6 million Arabic, 2.1 million French, 324k Turkish)
3. Manchester United
Manchester United football club or ‘The Red Devils’ was founded as Newton Heath LYR football club in 1878. 24 years later, in 1902, it was renamed Manchester United. It was founded by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway depot at Newton Heath. It was the highest-earning football club for the 2016-2017 period, and it is still one of the most widely supported football clubs.
It is a Premier League club, and its most popular player is Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United is the FIFA World Cup-winning team in 2008; its Red Kit is one of the most sold football kits in the world. It is known as a global brand; the club recently signed a sponsorship deal with TeamViewer for 5 years before the 2021-22 season for 235 million Euros.
Team Value: 3,808 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 100 million
Facebook Page Likes: 74 million
Twitter Followers: 27 million
4. Juventus
Juventus football club was founded in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, in 1897 by a group of Torinese students from the Massimo d’Azeglio Lyceum school. It is nicknamed La Vecchia Signora, meaning The Old Lady, like its 41,507-capacity stadium. The head coach is Massimiliano, who himself was a midfielder professional footballer. Its fan base is largest on the national level, and unlike other European clubs, Juventus’ popularity is spread around the whole country.
Team Value: 1,512 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 50.9 million
Facebook Page Likes: 44 million
Twitter Followers: 9.5 million (2.6 million English, 684k Spanish, 84.4k Japanese, 310k Indonesian, and 49.7 k Portuguese)
5. Chelsea FC
Founded in 1905 in London, the Chelsea football club is one of the most successful clubs in England. Chelsea FC has earned six league titles and eight European trophies from the Home Ground of Stamford Bridge. Blue being the predominant color of their kit, Chelsea has earned the nickname of “The Blues.” The club is owned by Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich. Chelsea is one of the five clubs to win all 3 UEFA’s main club competitions.
Team Value: 2,576 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 29.6 million
Facebook Page Likes: 49 million
Twitter Followers: 17.8 million
6. Paris Saint-Germain
Les Parisiens or Paris Saint-Germain Football Club was founded in 1970. The club is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, and its president is Nasser Al-Khelaifi. They’re nicknamed Les Rouge et Bleu or The Red and Blues. After receiving financial backing in 2011, the club has won seven league titles and twenty national cups.
Team Value: 1,092 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 49.8 million
Facebook Page Likes: 45 million
Twitter Followers: 10.1 million (1.1 million English, 41.4k Japanese, 1 million Spanish, 1.5 million Arabic, 472k Brazilian, 88.3k Indonesian)
7. FC Bayern München
The top-tier German football team was founded in 1900 by a group of 11 players led by Franz John. The club won its first national championship in 1932, but it wasn’t accepted in the national championship Bundesliga. Ever since then, the club has become very popular with 31 national titles and 20 national cups. Nicknamed Stern des Sudens or Star of the South, FC Bayern München has won various competitions, including 2 FIFA world cups.
Team Value: 3,024 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 28.3 million
Facebook Page Likes: 53 million
Twitter Followers: 5.6 million (794k Spanish, 366k US, 1.6 million English, 858k Arabic, 16.2k Brazilian)
8. Arsenal FC
Arsenal football club was founded in 1886 as Dial Square. Between 1989 and 2005, they acquired five league titles and five FA Cups. It is currently owned by Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and is one of the most valuable clubs in the world, with a net worth of over 1.4 billion euros.
Team Value: 2,268 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 20 million
Facebook Page Likes: 37 million
Twitter Followers: 17.9 million
9. Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool is one of the most supported football clubs in the world. It was founded in 1892 by John Houlding due to a dispute between Everton and Houlding. Liverpool has a long rivalry with Manchester United and Everton, with their home ground being Anfield. The full red shirts have earned them the title “The Reds.”
Team Value: 2,183 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 32.5 million
Facebook Page Likes: 37 million
Twitter Followers: 17.9 million
10. Manchester City
It is one of the most popular football clubs in the United Kingdom, founded in 1880 in Manchester. The team’s manager and coach, Pep Guardiola, is one of the best coaches in the world. In 2008, Abu Dhabi United Group purchased the club and gave an increment to both players and club faculty members. Their home ground is the city of Manchester stadium, where they arise in blue outfits earning them the nickname “The Sky Blues.”
Team Value: 2,688 million USD (2019)
Instagram Followers: 26.5 million
Facebook Page Likes: 40 million
Twitter Followers: 10.5 million
Conclusion
A team’s popularity is not just decided by how much sponsorship money they earn. Instead, individual player’s popularity, the team’s social media engagement, and the media coverage by each team decide their popularity. People all over the world also enjoy using bookie software to increase their excitement of watching games. Collecting all these factors and taking them into account, these teams have earned the place of the most popular teams in the world, with most of them being over 100 years old!