Spain and the UK Lead in Football Fandom
Football dominates fan interest in Europe's top markets, but the US lags far behind. Among sports fans, 78% follow football in Spain and the UK, 74% in Italy, 71% in Germany, 63% in France, vs. 23% in the US. Survey of 12,000-60,000 respondents/country, Jun 2025-Jun 2026. Source: Statista.
A new Statista Consumer Insights survey shows how football fandom differs across major markets. Among self-identified sports fans aged 18 to 64, 78% say they follow football in Spain and the United Kingdom, 74% in Italy, 71% in Germany and 63% in France. In the United States, that figure drops to 23%. Looking at entire national populations rather than just sports fans, the pattern holds: 46% of all respondents in Spain follow football, compared with 42% in the UK and Italy, 37% in Germany, 32% in France and 11% in the US. The survey covered between 12,000 and 60,000 respondents per country and was conducted between June 2025 and June 2026. Football has long been established as the dominant spectator sport across Spain, the UK, Italy, Germany and France, while American audiences traditionally follow gridiron football, basketball and baseball more closely than soccer. Source: Statista Consumer Insights via Statista.