Which top world football clubs have the highest attendances?

A new report released on Tuesday has identified the 20 most watched clubs in world football. The CIES Football Observatory looked at the attendances of 51 domestic football leagues around the globe.

The organisation tracked teams in 42 countries dating back to 2013 to find their data. So, which clubs had the highest average attendances over the five year period in which the study was conducted?

1. Borussia Dortmund

Germany’s Borussia Dortmund ranked No. 1 in average attendance with 80,000 fans per home match. The German giants have long been lauded for their incredible home support. In addition, the German Bundesliga is regularly the best all-around league in terms of attendances.

2. Manchester United

Despite last winning the Premier League trophy in 2012-13, Manchester United ranked second in average attendance with 75,218 fans per game. The Red Devils were the only Premier League club to rank in the CIES top 5 rankings.

3. FC Barcelona

Spain’s Barcelona averaged the third highest attendance per game from 2013-2018. The La Liga leaders attracted 74,876 fans to matches at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona have received the go-ahead from the local government to expand the stadium. The renovated and expanded stadium will seat 105,000 fans when completed.

4. Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich averaged 73,781 fans at the Allianz Arena per match. The Germans continue to be one of the biggest teams in Europe as well as the best side in Germany.

5. Real Madrid

Despite their Champions League wins and having Cristiano Ronaldo in the team during the years of the study, Real Madrid ranked only fifth in the CIES’ report. Los Blancos attracted 69,822 fans to the Santiago Bernabeu.

It is worth noting that only one team outside of Europe appeared in the top 10 rankings. That team was Major League Soccer club Atlanta United, who averaged 51,547 per game. Atlanta United only began playing in MLS in 2017 and only one season was counted toward their total.