Spurs.
Rank the 10 biggest clubs in the world
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
If you’re talking about a short enough time frame to see PSG in there, then Liverpool should be 1 or 2.
PSG, Arsenal are barely in a top 20.
By the way, if you take the amount of members into the equation, Bayern are easily number one worldwide with 291.000 members.
1. Real Madrid
2. Man United
3. Barcelona
4. Liverpool
5. Juventus
6. Bayern Munich
7. River Plate
8. Chelsea
9. Internazionale
10. Man City
honourable mentions for ac milan, ajax, benfica, flamengo, boca who are a bit behind these days
2. Man United
3. Barcelona
4. Liverpool
5. Juventus
6. Bayern Munich
7. River Plate
8. Chelsea
9. Internazionale
10. Man City
honourable mentions for ac milan, ajax, benfica, flamengo, boca who are a bit behind these days
That's a pretty silly view, no offense. I've lived in UAE as a kid. Yeah those clubs are like Apple but do you think Man United is any different?
I have no shame in accepting I started supporting United due to players like Beckham and Giggs since I liked their style. The rest just followed. Does that make me a plastic fan now?
Real Madrid
Bayern
Barcelona
Utd
Juve
Liverpool
Arsenal
AC Milan
Chelsea
Inter
Bayern
Barcelona
Utd
Juve
Liverpool
Arsenal
AC Milan
Chelsea
Inter
I don't understand the comparison...
Face it Shamans, we are plastics. At 5-6 years old I will admit that I had little idea about the club's history, it was all about Giggs, Cole, Beckham and Scholes.
1. Real Madrid
2. Barcelona/Manchester United
4. Bayern (tempted to group them along with the next lot, but because they're by far the biggest club in Germany, I think they get the spot).
5. Liverpool/Juventus/AC Milan
The rest.
Barcelona is a weird one - they have always been revered - even before Pep/Messi, there was Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Romario, Maradona etc - just look at the list of players who have played for them. And yet, prior to Pep/Messi, their European titles were lacking, in comparison to how the club was viewed.
Arsenal, a club that hasn't won a European Cup in its entire history, shouldn't be on such a list as well as they have done domestically and rode on the back of the English game's success. As such, Man City must earn their place too.
Chelsea are an intriguing one - 15 years ago, they were more like City (not quite as bad of course, they did still have some pedigree/history), but 15 years later, its arguable that they probably deserve a place in this list somewhere near the bottom of a top 10 - in that sense probably fighting it out with Arsenal.
2. Barcelona/Manchester United
4. Bayern (tempted to group them along with the next lot, but because they're by far the biggest club in Germany, I think they get the spot).
5. Liverpool/Juventus/AC Milan
The rest.
Barcelona is a weird one - they have always been revered - even before Pep/Messi, there was Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Romario, Maradona etc - just look at the list of players who have played for them. And yet, prior to Pep/Messi, their European titles were lacking, in comparison to how the club was viewed.
Arsenal, a club that hasn't won a European Cup in its entire history, shouldn't be on such a list as well as they have done domestically and rode on the back of the English game's success. As such, Man City must earn their place too.
Chelsea are an intriguing one - 15 years ago, they were more like City (not quite as bad of course, they did still have some pedigree/history), but 15 years later, its arguable that they probably deserve a place in this list somewhere near the bottom of a top 10 - in that sense probably fighting it out with Arsenal.
People should be happy that they took the conformist route and decided to support the biggest club as a kid. I was born a little contrarian cnut and decided to support Feyenoord, because everyone supported Ajax.
If only I'd have been a sheep. Fecking miserable being a Feyenoord fan.
If only I'd have been a sheep. Fecking miserable being a Feyenoord fan.
Seems a silly thread when you have not even properly defined what you are ranking.
Shouldn't the question be what did Ajax do to climb above Arsenal (if that's what you're suggesting)
Man City are a tiny club.
Oh sure, either side of their combined 50 years is just pure mediocrity.
Historically United have been bigger and arguably are still but you’ve got to think Barcelona “peaked” in the last decade when football has also exploded.
They couldn’t have picked a better time in terms of football as a global business to suddenly become the greatest team of the era. They’ve caught up.
They couldn’t have picked a better time in terms of football as a global business to suddenly become the greatest team of the era. They’ve caught up.
nah tiny or not they are really picking up fans and this is 2020 or globalised world
You need to quantify that in some way before making a top 10 list, based on those parameters. Otherwise, it is just very very subjective depending on the bubble you are living in.
For example, one way to understand fanbases, especially in the modern era, is to look at their following on social media, which is an essential parameter for publicity and commercial deals. This is in my view the most important parameter and everything else just contributes to this one. A good example is Ajax in the past and AC Milan more recently.
http://digitale-sport-medien.com/gdfb19/
<< I can't post images yet (1 like short, wink! wink!), so maybe someone can post the top 15 chart from this website >>
Yes you can. Liar.
Trophies and History kind of goes hand in hand, but the catch is to differentiate between old and new success. If enough time passes by and a club isn't successful, it will be forgotten and that directly will affect like a domino effect: the fan base -> the sponsorship deals -> big player transfers.
So, a top 10, is pretty damn clear if you look at that chart (it is from January 2019). And those numbers are always shifting, based on performances, on the emergence of new stars, the strength of leagues, etc.
If the PL clubs were to challenge the top 2 soon, we kind of need MU to be performing again because I am sure that part of Chelsea's impressive following was achieved when competing against a peak Manchester United in PL and also against a peak Barcelona in CL.
Also, as a Chelsea fan, I am feeling very optimistic. We entered a new era and if we can achieve success while reinventing ourselves, we will only grow. And I really hope that MU can be back sooner rather than later.
Some silly statements in here. Barca was only good for a few years and that shouldn't elevate them above United and Bayern? Come on. Ever since they signed Ronaldinho they were regarded as the best team in the world and had maybe two or three bad seasons ever since and none of them were in direct succession. Historically, the club is also much greater than they're credited for in here. It's almost ridiculous how many great players they had across their history. Messi, Ronaldinho, Romario, Ronaldo, Laudrup, Maradona, Cruyff just to name the greatest stars. Madrid aside, no club comes even close to this. Is there any other team which has won as many Balon D'Ors as Barca?
And even better: How can you place United as second but don't even name Milan? I know this is a United forum but come on.
I also think if we take everything into consideration, recency is an extremely important argument. I have a hard time positioning United, Milan, etc. above City or PSG given the mess that they currently are. And this is not just a momentary situation. United hasn't been good for many seasons now and looks like it's caught in a downward spiral, the same goes for Milan. People should stop living in the past. For me:
1. Tier: Real, Barca
2. Tier: Bayern, Juventus, Liverpool
3. Tier: City, PSG
4. Tier: United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Atletico, Inter
5. Tier: Tottenham, Dortmund, Napoli, Milan
And even better: How can you place United as second but don't even name Milan? I know this is a United forum but come on.
I also think if we take everything into consideration, recency is an extremely important argument. I have a hard time positioning United, Milan, etc. above City or PSG given the mess that they currently are. And this is not just a momentary situation. United hasn't been good for many seasons now and looks like it's caught in a downward spiral, the same goes for Milan. People should stop living in the past. For me:
1. Tier: Real, Barca
2. Tier: Bayern, Juventus, Liverpool
3. Tier: City, PSG
4. Tier: United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Atletico, Inter
5. Tier: Tottenham, Dortmund, Napoli, Milan
Will somebody please think of Barcelona or Milan?
It's hard to rank two things at the same time. The first is measuring historical levels of success and support. The second is measuring which club is the biggest attraction for the top players right now. The first list is a better long-term barometer, but doesn't change much in the short-term and is effectively what is set out in the Club World Rankings (1st Real, 7th Boca, Ajax, 10th Penarol, 17th Rangers, 81st Man City, etc). The second is really about finance and who can lure the best players today, where Barcelona, Real, City and PSG are right at the top.
Mate, you really talk some shit at the moment. What's wrong with you? "fluked". Give your head a wobble.
That global digital footprint is really telling. Yes, silverware and star power matters, but Some clubs have been good at profiling themselves online. Chelsea is a lot higher than I expected.You need to quantify that in some way before making a top 10 list, based on those parameters. Otherwise, it is just very very subjective depending on the bubble you are living in.
For example, one way to understand fanbases, especially in the modern era, is to look at their following on social media, which is an essential parameter for publicity and commercial deals. This is in my view the most important parameter and everything else just contributes to this one. A good example is Ajax in the past and AC Milan more recently.
http://digitale-sport-medien.com/gdfb19/
<< I can't post images yet (1 like short, wink! wink!), so maybe someone can post the top 15 chart from this website >>
Yes you can. Liar.
Trophies and History kind of goes hand in hand, but the catch is to differentiate between old and new success. If enough time passes by and a club isn't successful, it will be forgotten and that directly will affect like a domino effect: the fan base -> the sponsorship deals -> big player transfers.
So, a top 10, is pretty damn clear if you look at that chart (it is from January 2019). And those numbers are always shifting, based on performances, on the emergence of new stars, the strength of leagues, etc.
If the PL clubs were to challenge the top 2 soon, we kind of need MU to be performing again because I am sure that part of Chelsea's impressive following was achieved when competing against a peak Manchester United in PL and also against a peak Barcelona in CL.
Also, as a Chelsea fan, I am feeling very optimistic. We entered a new era and if we can achieve success while reinventing ourselves, we will only grow. And I really hope that MU can be back sooner rather than later.
Real and Barsa are in a category of their own altogether there. More than a 100 million confirmed online followers than us.
That is just silly.
Recent success doesn't mean you're suddenly bigger than others.
I just went to Old Trafford today, went to City, they've got no crowd.
Even funnier when some bloke opened his briefcase and trying to sell Citizen's scarves. The audacity.
Do you think that Corinthians are close to being the 15th most supported club in the world? What this picture tells me is that certain parts of the world are more likely to like and follow stuff on social media than others.You need to quantify that in some way before making a top 10 list, based on those parameters. Otherwise, it is just very very subjective depending on the bubble you are living in.
For example, one way to understand fanbases, especially in the modern era, is to look at their following on social media, which is an essential parameter for publicity and commercial deals. This is in my view the most important parameter and everything else just contributes to this one. A good example is Ajax in the past and AC Milan more recently.
http://digitale-sport-medien.com/gdfb19/
<< I can't post images yet (1 like short, wink! wink!), so maybe someone can post the top 15 chart from this website >>
Yes you can. Liar.
Trophies and History kind of goes hand in hand, but the catch is to differentiate between old and new success. If enough time passes by and a club isn't successful, it will be forgotten and that directly will affect like a domino effect: the fan base -> the sponsorship deals -> big player transfers.
So, a top 10, is pretty damn clear if you look at that chart (it is from January 2019). And those numbers are always shifting, based on performances, on the emergence of new stars, the strength of leagues, etc.
If the PL clubs were to challenge the top 2 soon, we kind of need MU to be performing again because I am sure that part of Chelsea's impressive following was achieved when competing against a peak Manchester United in PL and also against a peak Barcelona in CL.
Also, as a Chelsea fan, I am feeling very optimistic. We entered a new era and if we can achieve success while reinventing ourselves, we will only grow. And I really hope that MU can be back sooner rather than later.
I've never followed United on any social media. I don't know many people that do because following a club is asking for clutter on your feed.
This also doesn't take into consideration how many accounts follow multiple clubs. It also doesn't translate into revenue for the clubs in terms of merchandise, ticket sales etc.
Nope. We are not.
Man United are behind too. We may be approaching Milan levels in the next 4-5 seasons.
nah you are just too rich and a very good coach away from being back to CL football and reignite the magic
You just present some exceptions, but the bigger picture stands.
But your point on Corinthians, just underlines the fact that you and also many others, just live in a bubble. It is just how it is, but reality often is different.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ricard...e-soccer-team-outside-of-europe/#4690677f2489
Corinthians is the most valuable football club outside Europe, with a great following. Their problem is the league strength, they would compete in a different CL format in my opinion.
Very good list and rating system, though I would change the fanbase of City/PSG to 7 (at most).
Being 4 times European champions, and having some of the greatest players in the history of the game like Cruyff or Van Basten, for a starter.
And when did that all happen?
You're going to make many friends here.When is the last timedArsenal did something relevant? We are comparing them with Arsenal, a club that hasn't won a big title since 2004 and has not reached UCL semis since 2009. A club whom has never had a Ballon D'or winner playing for them (let alone winning it while playing for them). Sure, they are richer than Ajax (by virtue of being in England), but history-wise, Ajax are significantly bigger than them, and currently they are better.
If Arsenal is bigger than Ajax, then by the same logic, City and PSG are bigger than United.
In the 90s players didn’t really dream of playing for them. The best players in Serie A wanted to join United it was our strict wage structure that prevented the best players in the world such as Batistuta, Kluivert, etc from joining us.
I remember when United played Real in 99/00 they were viewed as a once great team. It’s the marketing from Galaticos 1 in 2000 and onwards that made Real relevant again.
Your logic seems to be limited to historic achievements, current wealth and or ability on the pitch (both of which are actually massively irrelevant). What about in a thread asking who's the bigger club how about you look at how many actual supporters these clubs have, still think Ajax are comparable with Arsenal now?
Come on I know on the CAF they'll always been those few who want to argue over whether the earth is round or whether the sky is blue but when asking yourself which is the bigger club Ajax or Arsenal there's only one obvious answer or are Celtic and Rangers bigger than Arsenal as well?
"Actual supporters"? Has to be Ajax but even if it is Arsenal, it can't be so many more that it overshadows that Ajax are historically miles more successful and currently better than Arsenal.
The only area where Arsenal have an advantage is that they've got a stadium that's about 10% bigger and play in a league where there's more money.
1-Real Madrid
2-Milan
3-United
4-Liverpool
5-Barcelona
6-Juventus
7-Bayern
8-Boca
9-Internazionale
10-Sao Paulo
2-Milan
3-United
4-Liverpool
5-Barcelona
6-Juventus
7-Bayern
8-Boca
9-Internazionale
10-Sao Paulo
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- Real Madrid
- Barcelona
- Man United
- Bayern Munich
- Liverpool
- Juventus
- Arsenal
- AC Milan
- Chelsea
- Ajax
I'm not sure it does. The article you linked even said that the club barely registers outside Latin America yet they manage to be the 15th most popular club in the world? The social media presence on that list is heavily dictated by Latin America. These figures don't line up with TV figures. PL is the most watched league by far and the correlation between people watching the league on TV, attending games doesn't line up with social media likes. And you absolutely have to take into account how popular each social media platform is per country. Brazil is a huge country and it's the country that has the 6th highest percentage of users. Brazil is 2nd in terms of Instagram users and 4th for Facebook. Of course those numbers add up. Turkey is 5th on Twitter, 6th on Instagram and 10th on Facebook and look, Galatasaray is on the list of top 15 clubs. Spain and Italy don't register on the top 10 in any of the lists, Germany and UK only some.
What the social media chart also doesn't take into consideration is the age of the profiles. For Real Madrid the numbers are based on multiple Twitter accounts, not the one like with United. How many of the accounts are bots and not real people? Purchasing likes is a thing you can do.
A small anecdote of how social media is so much bigger in Latin America. An Icelandic player went into the WC with about 10k followers. After the WC he had more than 1m and the data showed that it was mostly just Argentina and Brazil. Basically thirsty women who wanted to look at him. He's more of a model now than a footballer because of that tournament.
If you add OM there then Porto or Benfica belong there as they are bigger clubs.