Real Madrid is the top team in FanWide’s European soccer rankings. From their 33 domestic league titles to 207 million aggregate social media followers to 13 Champions League titles and beyond- Real Madrid’s numbers speak for themselves. Few teams have the ammunition to form meaningful rivalries with Real Madrid. Barcelona, FanWide’s #3 team, is one of those teams. Games played between Real Madrid and Barcelona, nicknamed “El Clásico,” are consistently some of the most viewed sporting events in the world. While Barcelona currently leads the all-time rivalry (the overall record is 115-99-61), games between the two giants in La Liga are much closer. The all-time El Clásico record in La Liga games is 72-72-34. The rivalry goes beyond soccer- Real Madrid is said to represent Spanish pride while Barcelona is said to represent Catalonian pride. Cristiano Ronaldo, who is tied as the second leading all-time El Clásico goal scorer with Alfredo di Stefano (behind Lionel Messi), was a major part of the rivalry. Now that Ronaldo has moved to Juventus, it will be interesting to see how the rivalry sways. Ballon d’Or winner Luca Modric will have to continue stepping up big for Real Madrid for reasons that go beyond just their rivalry with Barcelona. Real Madrid has begun a new era. Time will tell if Real Madrid flourishes post-Ronaldo, but if history repeats itself, they’ll do just fine. There’s a reason Real Madrid is FanWide’s #1 European soccer team.
Visit FanWide.com to find a Real Madrid game watch party or fan club near you.
Methodology:
The European soccer scene is unique in that it consists of 5 different comparable leagues. Unlike sports like football and basketball in the USA, which have teams that have competed against each other for years, some European soccer teams might face each other once every five to ten years. Naturally, ranking these teams is a challenge. FanWide’s goal in ranking the top ten European soccer teams was to use metrics that acknowledge the fact that not all teams get a chance to play each other. By using metrics like FanWide’s fan data, the focus in our rankings was split between on and off-field success. As a result, our top ten ranking consists of the most prominent, internationally significant European soccer clubs, accounting for but not solely relying on titles and wins. In the coming weeks, FanWide will be rolling out the top ten, building up to the reveal of the #1 soccer club in Europe. Check out this blog, for a breakdown of the metrics.
European Soccer Top 10:
8. Juventus FC
7. Chelsea FC
6. Arsenal
5. Liverpool
3. Barcelona
1. Real Madrid
Real Madrid Ranked:
| Category | Count | Rank |
| Fan Clubs (FanWide) | 7 | 10 |
| Champions League Wins (all time) | 13 | 1 |
| UEFA Player of the Year Top Ten Finalists (since 2014) | 14 | 1 |
| Attendance (Average 2018) | 62,640 | 5 |
| Forbes Value (in billions) | 4.01 | 2 |
| Total Social Media Followers (in millions) | 207 | 1 |
| Domestic League Titles (all time) | 33 | 2 |
| Domestic League Titles (since 2009) | 3 | 5 (tie) |
Fan Clubs (according to FanWide): 7 (10th)
Real Madrid currently has 7 listed fan clubs in FanWide’s fan club network. This 10th place ranking is Real Madrid’s worst in FanWide’s metrics. More Real Madrid fan clubs are sure to pop up with time. If you are a Real Madrid fan who wants to set up a local fan club in your city, let us know!
