REVEALED: The football clubs with the biggest social media followings, with English sides DWARFED by European rivals

By
published

A report has been released revealing the number of social media followers each Champions League side has

Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal FC speaks to his players during Pre-Season Friendly match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at SoFi Stadium on July 27, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta alongside his Arsenal players (Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2024/25 Champions League gets underway on Tuesday night and it promises to be one of the most exciting competitions in years.

Defending champions Real Madrid have added Kylian Mbappe and Endrick to their team as they look to win a record-extending 16th European Cup, but they will face a stiff test from Premier League trio Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, who all have designs on the trophy.

Perennial contenders Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich are all among the bookmakers’ favourites to be there at the final in Munich next year, while Juventus, Atalanta and both of the Milan teams lead the Italian charge, as Serie A looks to end a 15 year wait for a winner.

The GENIUS Way Arsenal Just Beat Tottenham Without Their Midfield

We will also see the competition’s new format in play for the first time, after UEFA scrapped the tried and tested group stage for a new ‘league phase’, which sees all 36 teams put together into one league table, with each side playing eight matches against eight different teams. The top eight teams will qualify for the last 16, with the teams finishing between ninth and 24th entering a play-off round to determine the remaining eight knockout places.

That means we’re set for the biggest edition of the competition yet and the format arguably favours the biggest teams - but who exactly are the biggest sides?

Which team has the most followers on social media?

Real Madrid's attacking superstars

It's another title for Real Madrid... (Image credit: Getty Images)

This is an argument that we’ve all had in the pub, but now Sportingpedia have looked to settle it, as they have produced a report that reveals just how many followers each team has on social media.

With numbers taken from official accounts on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, the report shows that Real Madrid are comfortably at the top of the pile with a combined 392.1million followers. Barcelona are the only other team with more than 300million followers (329.6million), while Manchester City are the first Premier League team to appear on the list in fifth place with just over 150million followers.

In fact, City, Liverpool and Arsenal combined have fewer followers that Real Madrid. at the bottom of the pile, Sparta and Slavia Prague, Young Boys, Slovan Bratislava and Sturm Graz all have fewer than one million followers.

Champions League clubs ranked by social media followers

  1. Real Madrid - 392.1m
  2. Barcelona - 329.6m
  3. Paris Saint-Germain - 173.6m
  4. Juventus - 152.8m
  5. Manchester City - 150.2m
  6. Liverpool - 138.7m
  7. Bayern Munich - 130.7m
  8. Arsenal - 102.7m
  9. Milan - 69.3m
  10. Atletico Madrid - 62.3m
  11. Inter - 61.6m
  12. Borussia Dortmund - 52.3m
  13. Monaco - 20.1m
  14. Aston Villa - 15.9m
  15. Bayer Leverkusen - 14m

More Champions League stories

Champions League power ranking: The odds for Europe, as Premier League heavyweights look to dethrone Real Madrid

Ranked! The 20 best cult Champions League sides ever

Line-up quiz! Can you name the AC Milan line-up from their 2005 Champions League final loss to Liverpool?

Joe Mewis
Joe Mewis

For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.