Becoming a 'global brand' was one of the reasons behind the club's contensious move from the beloved Boleyn Ground to the vast wide expanses of the 'unfit' for football, as yet unnamed London Stadium. Well, the club has an awful long way to go, but it has to start sometime, beyond the competition lies the golden chalice of 'proper recognition', the last time the club received it was in 1966 having provided the back bone of England's only World Cup winning team.
This is how West Ham are generally perceived
West Ham may not be one of the top three clubs in Europe but they are one of the most flamboyant clubs in the UK and around the world. Amongst its fans are a host of celebrities. Here are just a few of them: Barack Obama, Katy Perry, Keira Knightley, Alfred Hitchcock, Elijah Wood, Matt Damon and Lennox Lewis. But West Ham don’t just have stellar fans. Such football stars as Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Harry Redknapp and others have played for it. West Ham have won three FA Cups, the Super Cup and even the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. The Hammers may not be a top club with a huge number of trophies, but true fans remain loyal to them and appreciate the team’s rich history.
The club has a long long way to go before it can be included in the 'rich list' of high achievers from a global audience point of view...football is the most popular team sport and clubs have a huge fan base. For example, 3.6 billion people watched the 2018 World Cup in stadiums and on television (you can find out more about TV broadcasting on Telecomasia.net). This number is equal to one-third of the world’s population over 4 years old. In this article, we will tell you which are the most-watched football clubs in Europe. We will base it on the total number of followers on all social media.
3. Manchester United (England, Premier League)
Total supporters: 135.8 million
The fact that Manchester United are in the top three most popular teams proves the true loyalty of their fans. They remain with the Red Devils, even though the club had practically no trophies after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. The fans always fill the 75,000-seat Old Trafford almost to capacity when United play their home games, and the queue for stadium season tickets stretches back for several years.
Of course, in cities like Manchester, the love for the home team is passed down from generation to generation, but the club has a lot of credit for maintaining the loyalty of so many fans. United’s exclusivity is borne out by its many trophies. They have become the champion of England 20 times (the record of the country) winning the Champions League three times.
Four players who won the prestigious Golden Ball award, four world champions and two Euro winners played for this club. From the list of 100 Legendary Footballers, which was compiled in 1998 in honor of the anniversary of the Premier League, 14 players defended the colors of Manchester United.
2. FC Barcelona (Spain, La Liga)
Total supporters: 254.7 million
Barcelona have been the Champion of Spain 26 times and are one of the strongest clubs. Moreover, the best team in the history of football is called the 2009-2012 team, which was led by Josep Guardiola. He helped Barcelona develop their special style of play, which is so appreciated by Catalan fans. In the 21st century alone, the Blaugrana managed to win La Liga 10 times and the Champions League four times.
Six Barcelona players won the Ballon d’Or. Cruyff won it twice and Messi six times! Defending the colours of the Catalan club, 12 players became world champions and 13 won the Euro.
1. Real Madrid (Spain, La Liga)
Total supporters: 259.2 million
Real Madrid are the most awarded European club. They have 33 Spanish league titles, but most of the grand fans are outside of this sunny country. In 2017, Spain was home to only 5% of the 450 million cream fans. Most of the fans were from the USA and Indonesia.
In 2017, Madrid announced they were the first sports brand to have over 100 million Facebook followers. Today this number has grown significantly.
Real Madrid hold the record for the most victories in the Champions League. They won the cup 13 times. Seven representatives of this Spanish club have received the Ballon d’Or (Di Stefano has won the award twice, Ronaldo - four times), and the number of world and European champions in the Los Blancos is impossible to count. No wonder Real Madrid are the most popular European club!
