- A survey conducted by Chiliz in eight countries across Europe, the Americas and Asia reveals that 86.7% of soccer fans have some level of interest in a club overseas, with 33% claiming to have a foreign club as a main team. Download ‘The Global Fan’, a report powered by Fan Tokens here.
LONDON. OCTOBER 16 2024. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Manchester United are the three teams with the most global appeal from fans outside their own countries, ‘The Global Fan’ a report powered by Fan Tokens has revealed.
While La Liga’s ‘big two’ are the two most supported teams across the globe by foreign fans, the real trend that emerged is the Premier League’s dominance – making up six of the top ten – with even the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion enjoying significant support from overseas.
The Global Fan conducted by sports blockchain Chiliz, surveyed over 8,000 soccer fans across the UK, USA, Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Japan, Italy, and Turkey.
With English clubs by far the most popular with overseas fans – with 32% of fans saying their non-domestic team plays in England – Manchester United are still a global powerhouse, dwarfing the support of their domestic rivals despite not winning the Premier League since 2013. They are followed by Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool. England’s top flight is the most popular league for fans from the USA, Nigeria, Japan, South Korea and Italy.
Top 10 clubs with the most overseas fans*
| Ranking |
| 1. Real Madrid |
| 2. Barcelona |
| 3. Manchester United |
| 4. Chelsea |
| 5. Arsenal |
| 6. Tottenham Hotspur |
| 7. Manchester City |
| 8. Liverpool |
| 9. Bayern Munich |
| 10. PSG |
*based on respondents of over 8,000 football fans in the UK, USA, Brazil, South Korea, Nigeria, Japan, Italy, and Turkey
The Power of Brands
Real Madrid and FC Barcelona lead the table of clubs with most fans abroad, taking up a quarter of overseas fan support and almost half of Brazil’s fanbase (46%). Despite not winning a major trophy since 2017, Manchester United is the most popular club among US fans, with 20.4% of them claiming it’s their favorite team, followed by Real Madrid with 7.5%.
In the US, 87.9% of soccer fans say they have some level of interest in a club overseas, with 30.6% admitting they support an overseas club as their main team.
The skills and athleticism of the players is the main driver of passion for football in the US, while it’s the team’s history and tradition, over individual players and managers, that influences their support for their favorite team. Over 73% of US fans that support an overseas soccer team watch all or at least most of the matches.
Influence of Icons
Whilst Manchester United dominate in several regions, Tottenham Hotspurs’ following in South Korea (42%) is the largest share by a team in any particular country – far above United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Korean superstar, Son-Heung Min has been a massive driver for the North London clubs’ regional growth in recent years – now a “hotbed” of support for Spurs according to Ryan Norys, Chief Revenue Officer.
However, Son is not the only one driving this rapidly emerging trend. Brighton & Hove Albion place 8th in Japan’s global fan table thanks to the country’s upcoming superstar, Karou Mitoma.
Asia no doubt has a different kind of fan, valuing individuals far higher than other regions with 58% of South Koreans and half of Japan’s fan base (49.4%) citing individual players as a main reason to support their overseas team.
Fans demand more
The report squares in not just on which teams and leagues overseas fans are passionate about, but how that support manifests itself. ‘Passion and emotion’ (33%) are a global unifier, but more heavily weighted in traditional footballing hotbeds, including, but not limited to, the likes of Brazil, Italy and the UK.
While watching matches (48%) remains the primary way that fans connect, 79% of respondents say digital platforms significantly enhance their fan experience. Social media, in particular, has become a crucial tool for fans, with 43% using it to follow their favourite clubs across borders. Video games are also emerging as a key engagement tool, with 23% of fans connecting with their teams through gaming.
Despite the high levels of engagement, one thing that unites fans around the globe is the need for clubs to be doing more to engage and excite them. Every region feels strongly that more can be done, with 83% of global fans saying their overseas club should be doing more to engage with them.
Fans are clearly calling for more direct engagement from their overseas clubs, with virtual opportunities playing a key part in this. Virtual meet-and-greet sessions with players (22%), fan voting on certain club decisions such as kit design (22%) and virtual training ground access (19%) all rank amongst the key things that overseas fans are looking for from their clubs. A quarter (24%) would like to see loyalty programs and rewards for overseas supporters further developed.
Data from Chiliz’s fan engagement and rewards app, Socios.com’s UK user base also demonstrates the diverse preferences among football fans. Whilst Fan Polls enabling fans to take part in team decisions have have played a key role in the Fan Token proposition and remain immensely popular, VIP Hospitality packages (28.1%), Play on the Pitch experiences (19.5%) and Merchandise Giveaways (18%) all rank amongst the most sought after experiences Fan Tokens can provide.
Alexander Dreyfus, Founder & CEO at Chiliz, comments: “As soccer continues to evolve, understanding and engaging with the global fanbase will be crucial for clubs looking to maintain and grow their international appeal. The passion of soccer fans knows no boundaries, and this research shows that clubs, especially those in the Premier League, must continue to innovate in how they engage with their global fanbase. While watching matches remains central, the rise of technology offers new opportunities to create meaningful connections through virtual experiences and web3 experiences. Clubs that embrace this will not only strengthen their existing fan relationships but also attract new supporters from around the world.”
Download ‘The Global Fan’, a report powered by Fan Tokens in full here. Download ES version here.
