• Manchester United is the most popular Premier League club in the world.
• Red Devils get top billing in 37.2% of all nations, 6.46% more than their closest rivals Liverpool.
• One of the Red Devils (93), or Reds (87), account for being the most popular in 72% of all countries.
• Collective efforts of Chelsa, Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham can account for just 39.78% of United’s global popularity.

Manchester United will begin the 30th Premier League season as the most popular Premier League club in the world, new research has confirmed.

While the Old Trafford club may have fallen away from challenging for trophies in recent years, they have maintained their grip as the Premier League’s most popular export, headlining in 93 of the 250 countries worldwide.

Hot on their heels, though, and closing fast is Merseyside outfit Liverpool, fuelled by their successes in 2019 and 2020, where they won both the Champions League and Premier League, the latter their first title triumph in 30 years. These on-field triumphs appear to have made all the difference, with the Anfield side now trailing by just 6.46%, or six countries to be precise!

The Liverpool-Manchester megalopolis – the two cities some 35 miles apart – is famed for its historic rivalry in sporting and other senses, and the pair lay unanimous claim to the lionshare of attention from a combined 180 nations, a colossal 72% of the planet.

For context, the combined global clout of Chelsea (19), Manchester City (9), Arsenal (8) and Tottenham (1) only musters 39.78% of Manchester United’s geographical wins on the international stage.

The True Colours of Football study, conducted by William Hill, crunched a range of search volume data for each top-flight club in hundreds of key towns and cities across the UK, as well as accurately mapping online popularity in almost every country across the globe.

Indicative of the beautiful game’s gravitas in Africa is Uganda, South Sudan and Kenya leading the way in interest in the Premier League’s elite, the UK, home to the game’s origins, fourth – just above Sierra Leone.

Big numbers in China and India spend their time following the travails of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s United side, but it is a much more closely-fought affair in the U.S. and Canada, where they narrowly edge out Liverpool.

Liverpool red, though, washes over much of Europe, the Middle East and Russia, with unparalleled dominance in the northernmost region of the African continent, claiming four of the seven countries. And while West Africa appears to be very much a Chelsea stronghold, United enjoy the freedom of the continent’s south, dominating swathes of territory from Tanzania’s capital Dodoma to Cape Town in South Africa.

Six different clubs add colour to the vibrant palette of football that is South America, with the footballing powerhouses of Mexico and Brazil most compelled to follow Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, while the EPL’s only Mexican player Raúl Jiménez elevates Wolverhampton into second spot in that particular nation, the Midlands club outscoring the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.The of Columbian poster boy James Rodriguez instantly elevated Everton to El Maximo – the biggest thing there is, Miguel Almirón ensures Newcastle enjoys plenty of Paraguayan affection and Marcelo Bielsa, the enigmatic Argentine who ended Leeds’ 16-year wait for Premier League football, has won the hearts and minds of his countrymen and women back home.