We’re taking a look through the 20 most followed sports teams on Instagram in 2023, with the list dominated by European soccer.
- Real Madrid are the most followed sports team on Instagram
- Top nine dominated by European soccer including Manchester United
- NBA’s Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers make the top 20
Top 20 Most Followed Sports Teams On Instagram
1. Real Madrid – 137 million (@RealMadrid)
Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid are the most popular sports team on Instagram with an incredible 137m followers.
Los Blancos are the world’s most valuable club and have won a record 35 La Liga titles and eight Champions League trophies.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are bidding to win a ninth European crown this season, facing Manchester City in the semi-final next.
2. Barcelona – 120 million (@FCBarcelona)
Real Madrid’s closest rival, Barcelona, are second on the list with 120m Instagram followers.
The Catalans are the fourth most valuable sports team on the planet and have won a record 76 domestic trophies alongside five Champions League titles.
Barcelona are the only team to have achieved the continental treble twice and are on the brink of another La Liga triumph this season.
3. Paris Saint-Germain – 70.4 million (@PSG)
Founded in 1970, PSG are France’s most successful club with over 40 honours – including ten league titles.
With increased financial backing following Qatar Sports Investment’s purchase of the club in 2011, PSG have become one of soccer’s biggest superpowers.
The club has the fifth-highest revenue in the sport at €654m annually and is worth $3.2bn.
4. Manchester United – 61.7 million (@ManchesterUnited)
Fourth on the list is Manchester United, who have won a record 20 league titles in England’s top flight and are one of five clubs to have won the original three main UEFA club competitions.
The Red Devils became the first club in the history of English soccer to win the European treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson in 1998/99.
United are valued as the third most valuable soccer team with an annual revenue of almost €700m.
5. Juventus – 58 million (@Juventus)
Italian soccer club Juventus have won 36 league titles, 14 Coppa Italia and nine Supercoppa Italiana titles – holding the record for all three competitions after being founded in 1897.
In terms of value and revenue, Juventus are amongst the top ten soccer clubs and until last year were the only professional Italian club to have won every ongoing honour available to the first team and organised by a national/international soccer association.
Juventus laid the foundations for Italy’s World Cup triumphs in 1934, 1982 and 2006.
6. Manchester City – 42.3 million (@ManCity)
Manchester City have over 42 million followers on Instagram and are cruising to a third consecutive Premier League title this season, which would mark nine in the club’s history.
After UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour completed a takeover of the club through the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, City have become one of soccer’s biggest names and have dominated the English top flight.
City became the first club to reach 100 points in a season and first English team to win the domestic treble. The club are aiming to win a first Champions League title this season but face Real Madrid in the semis.
7. Liverpool – 42.1 million (@LiverpoolFC)
Liverpool have won 19 league titles in England’s top flight, the second most in history. Owned by Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool are one of the most valuable and widely supported clubs on the globe.
On the European stage, the Reds have won six Champions League honours and won their maiden Premier League crown in 2020. The club has a very famous anthem named ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
Managed by Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool are fifth in the league this season but the campaign has undoubtedly been a disappointing one for the Merseyside club.
8. Chelsea – 39.8 million (@ChelseaFC)
Chelsea were the subject of soccer’s biggest ever takeover in May 2022 by a Todd Boehly-led consortium for £4.25bn. Since then, the club has spent over half a billion in the transfer market with poor results.
The club can’t break into the top half of the Premier League table and have no hope for European soccer at Stamford Bridge next season – despite being two-time winners of the Champions League, most recently in 2021.
In terms of overall trophies won, Chelsea are the fourth most successful club in English soccer and are ranked as the seventh most valuable soccer club.
9. Bayern Munich – 38.5 million (@FCBayern)
With over 38 million followers, the first German club on our list of the most followed sports teams on Instagram is Bayern Munich – the most successful club in the nation’s soccer history, including a record 32 league titles (ten consecutively since 2013).
Bayern have won six Champions League titles – a German record – and by winning the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup., became the second club to win the sextuple. As of May 2023, the club are ranked second in UEFA club rankings behind Man City.
The club also has other departments for chess, handball, basketball, gymnastics and various other sports with more than 1,100 active members.
10. Golden State Warriors – 29.7 million (@Warriors)
The first non-soccer team on our list is the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, who have won seven championships in history and enjoyed a dynasty across the last decade.
The Warriors returned to winning ways in 2015 following a 40-year drought, later winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 followed by further triumph in 2022.
In 2016, the team set the record for best regular season record at 73-9 and have the most wins in a season (regular and postseason combined) – Golden State’s current backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson is considered one of the best duos in league history.
Coached by Steve Kerr, the Warriors are currently in a Western Conference semi-finals series with the Los Angeles Lakers.
11. Arsenal – 26.1 million (@Arsenal)
Arsenal are the third most successful club in English soccer and are Man City’s main rival in the Premier League title this season, despite now being significant underdogs to snatch glory.
Nicknamed ‘The Gunners,’ Arsenal’s best era came under the management of Arsene Wenger who led the club to a record seven FA Cups and his title-winning side between 2003 and 2004 set an English record for the longest top-flight unbeaten league run at 49 games.
The club is the eighth most valuable in the sport and boast over 26 million followers on Instagram.
12. Los Angeles Lakers – 22.1 million (@Lakers)
The Los Angeles Lakers are basketball’s joint-most successful franchise, tied with the Boston Celtics for 17 NBA championships in history.
The Lakers hold the record for the NBA’s longest winning streak, 33 straight games, set during the 1971/72 season. The franchise has produced 26 Hall of Famers and eight MVP awards from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Currently led by one of the greatest of all-time, LeBron James, Los Angeles will need everything from their star man alongside Anthony Davis to knock the reigning champions out of the playoffs.
13. Borussia Dortmund – 18.1 million (@BVB09)
German soccer club Borussia Dortmund rank as the 13th biggest sports team on Instagram with over 18 million followers.
Dortmund have won eight league titles, five DFB-Pokals and one Champions League crown. The club is the second largest by membership in Germany, behind only Bayern Munich.
The club has the highest average attendance of any association soccer club on the planet and have been ranked as the 12th richest soccer club.
14. Atletico Madrid – 15.5 million (@AtleticoDeMadrid)
Atletico Madrid are the third most successful soccer club in Spain with 11 league titles, behind only Real Madrid and Barcelona. The club won a league and cup double in 1996.
Felipe VI, the King of Spain, has been the honorary president of Atletico Madrid since 2003. They have won the Europa League on three occasions in 2010, 2012 and 2018 but are still awaiting maiden Champions League glory.
Nicknamed ‘Atleti,’ the club are currently third in La Liga and poised to qualify for next season’s Champions League competition.
15. Cleveland Cavaliers – 15.4 million (@Cavs)
After drafting LeBron James in 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers quickly became a prominent name in the Eastern Conference but failed to win a championship, leading James to seek a move elsewhere in pursuit of glory.
After winning two titles in South Beach, LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014 and led the team to four straight NBA Finals appearances including the franchise’s first ever ring in 2016 – defeating the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in seven games.
That series also marked the first time in Finals history a team had come back to win the series after trailing 3-1. This season, Cleveland exited the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the New York Knicks in five games.
16. Tottenham Hotspur – 15.3 million (@SpursOfficial)
Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, nicknamed ‘Spurs,’ are the 16th highest followed sports team on Instagram. The north Londoners have won two league titles, eight FA Cups and four League Cups.
They collected at least one major trophy in each of the six decades from the 1950s to 2000s, an achievement matched only by Manchester United. The club are currently in a trophy drought, having not won one since 2008.
Spurs are estimated to be worth $2.35bn and the ninth highest earning soccer club with an annual revenue of almost $500m.
17. AC Milan – 13.8 million (@ACMilan)
Italian soccer outfit AC Milan have spent their entire history, with the exception of two seasons, in the top flight of Italian soccer which has been known as Serie A since 1929.
Milan’s 18 FIFA and UEFA trophies is the fourth highest of any club including seven Champions League honours. With 19 league titles, they are also tied as the second most successful club in Serie A alongside local rivals Inter.
AC’s rivalry with Inter is known as the Derby della Madonnina, one of the most followed rivalries in soccer.
18. Galatasaray – 12.6 million (@Galatasaray)
Turkish soccer club Galatasaray have over 12 million followers and are the most successful team in the nation’s history.
Galatasaray are one of three teams to have participated in all seasons of the Super Lig (Turkey’s top flight) since 1959 and have won 22 league titles.
They are the only Turkish team to have won a major UEFA competition, sealing UEFA Cup and Super Cup triumph in 2000.
19. Mumbai Indians – 12 million (@MumbaiIndians)
Mumbai Indians are a franchise cricket team from Mumbai, India and are the Indian Premier League’s most successful side with five titles.
They became the first franchise to cross the $100m mark in brand value among the IPL franchises and is estimated to be worth almost $150m today.
20. Chennai Super Kings – 12 million (@ChennaiIPL)
Founded in 2008, Chennai Super Kings play in the Indian Premier League and are the final team on our list as the 20th most followed sports team on Instagram.
In January 2022, CSK became India’s first unicorn sports enterprise (worth over $100m) and have four league titles in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. They have the highest win percentage of matches among all teams in the IPL (59%).
CSK also hold the record for most appearances in the playoffs (11) and the IPL Final (nine).