Unveiling Football’s Most Watched League in the World (2025 Edition)

Most watched league in the world : Football is arguably the most popular sport in the world, drawing billions of viewers. Whether it’s club football or international football, fans tune in in record numbers from every corner of the globe, so much so that no other sport can hold a candle to its following. From packed stadiums to people who watch football on the television screen. Now you will question which league you should watch if you are a new football fan, or which other leagues to watch apart from your own favorite league. Let us see whether your favourite league has made up to our list of most watched league in the world.

The competition between leagues around the world is getting intense, with new leagues investing heavily to bring established players into their league, to already established leagues are giving young talents every month. Creating a star in your league can also attract millions of followers; the best example of this would be Cristiano Ronaldo. he went to Serie A after leaving La Liga, and after that, moved to the Saudi Pro League. Similarly, iconic rivalries can bring a lot of viewership for a short period of time. In this article, we are listing down the top-most watched football leagues in the world.

List of Most Watched Football Leagues in the World

The table below lists the top 10 most watched football leagues in the world. To keep things transparent, we have also given the ranking factors on which we are ranking the top 10 most-watched leagues in the world. Which league has managed to win the hearts and eyes of the global football audience in 2025? The answer might surprise some, while others may nod in agreement.

How We Ranked the Most Watched Football League in the World

The ranking factors mentioned below are used to list down the 10 most watched football league in the world without giving any space to speculations. Let's understand these factors one by one.

Global Viewership: The global viewership was our priority factor in determining the most-watched league in the world. The wider the global reach, the larger the number of audience will tune in to see the matches of the leagues via different devices like televisions and mobile phones. Streaming platforms have further amplified the reach of these leagues. Some leagues have seen a drastic surge in

Stadium Attendance: The popularity of a league can be determined by the total number of fans that have attended matches in a season. This factor can be a tiebreaker if the global viewership somehow matches. This factor will also help us determine whether the popularity is from 2-3 clubs or the league actually has a good fanbase. A league with less number of attendees has dropped in the rankings of the 10 most watched football leagues; on the other hand, leagues with more footfall have been given a higher ranking.

Broadcast Reach (No. of Countries Covered): This factor counts how many countries a particular league covers. The more countries it is broadcast in, the bigger the audience worldwide.

Social Media & Online Engagement: This factor evaluates the digital presence of a league, higher engagement shows more global popularity. Followers count from various scoial media platforms such as Instagram, X and Facebook are covered under this metric.

Which is the Most Watched Football League in 2025?

The detailed list of the top 10 most watched football league in the world will show users why each league is given its ranking and which factors have influenced these positions.

10 Eredivisie – Netherlands

The Dutch league is widely followed around the world for its rich history (players like Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff had played in this league for Ajax) and the young talent who love to show some flair and unmatchable skills during the matches. Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are household names, especially in European competitions.

The league is covered in over 80 countries and has a solid domestic following. Though the attendance of 6,120,833 for the 2024/25 is lower compared to that of top leagues in our list of the most-watched leagues in the world. The quality of homegrown players and attacking football keeps fans engaged worldwide. Additionally, the league has a decent fan following on the internet, with around 900k followers on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter)

9. Liga Portugal – Portugal

Portugal’s Primeira Liga did not attract that much of an audience worldwide, but people often respect this league for its ability to produce young talents like the highest active goal scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, Angel Di Maria, Pepe, and others. Clubs like Benfica, Porto, and Sporting CP participate in the UEFA Champions League and make deep runs in European competitions. These teams are often considered dark horses that can beat any team on their day.

The league is broadcast in 100+ countries, and although stadium sizes are relatively smaller, loyal fans fill them consistently. if you see the average attendance of every club here in this league, you will see most of them are filled to 90% capacity on every matchday. Liga Portugal total attendance in the 2024/25 season touched the mark of 3,500,00, making them one of the most watched football league among EU nations.

8. Liga MX – Mexico

Liga MX is the most watched league and most popular league in the southern North America. With its exciting playstyle, dramatic playoffs, and fierce rivalries like Club América vs. Chivas – the super clasico, the league enjoys massive support both domestically and among Hispanic communities abroad. Last season total of 2,638,361 Football fanatics registered their presence in stadiums during matchdays, according to official figures. TV viewership has also increased to 3.7 million lately.

Matches are frequently high-scoring, and fan engagement is intense, with clubs like Tigres, Monterrey, and Pumas boasting passionate followings. To your surprise, people of the USA are equally distributed between MLS and Liga MX. With stadiums of small capacity, the attendance is lower, but if you follow the league closely, those stadiums are packed with fans. With players like Sergio Ramos one of the best defenders of modern times, Memphis Depay and the Evergreen Ochoua Liga MX is making significant growth in terms of viewership and may enter the top 7 of most-watched leagues in the world soon.

7. Brasileirão Série A – Brazil

The top flight of Brazilian football can be referred to as the breeding ground for new talents, which later on become home to some famous personalities worldwide. Known for producing football GOATs like Pele and Neymar, the Brasileirão showcases an unpredictable and flair-heavy playing style. The more you watch the matches of this league, the more you will fall in love with the league. League scouts from around the world come here to select the young prodigies to make sure their club gets the Brazilian Flair, making the club one of the most watched leagues in the world.

Broadcast in over 100 countries, it retains strong domestic viewership. The massive fanbase across Brazil and worldwide contributes to healthy stadium numbers and viewership globally, although infrastructure and economic factors sometimes limit attendance figures. Last season, the apex league of Brazil was able to draw 4,987,605 fans and surpassed the numbers of Liga MX to enter the top 7 of most watched league in the world. Additionally, Brasileirao has one of the highest follower counts on social media among non-European leagues, showing its strong popularity worldwide.

6. Major League Soccer – USA

MLS is one of the fastest growing leagues in terms of revenue and viewership. With Apple TV having its broadcasting rights, the league can be watched from anywhere around the world. With the likes of World Cup-winning star Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, Inter Miami has the highest viewership in the matches of MLS. Meanwhile, due to the footballing stars coming to this league, it has attracted an audience from around the world.

The League’s overall attendance this season was around 7,000,000, which is lower compared to the top 5 leagues. However, one reason for the lower count is the lack of footballing infrastructure. Though, the league is getting bigger and better, and there is an increase in viewership with competitions like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and FIFA Club World Cup taking place on American soil.

5. Ligue 1 – France

One can say much of the viewership in Ligue 1 comes from Paris Saint-Germain, the biggest team in the division right now that boasts several marquee names. However, with the rise of clubs like Marseille, Lyon and Lille in recent times, there’s a renewed interest in the French top division. It reached its peak following the arrival of Lionel Messi in Paris in 2021. The average viewership per game is 10.5 million viewers.

The league was on decline since the exits of prominent players like Neymar, Sergio Ramos, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. The League was able to attract new fans after the exceptional run of PSG in the UEFA Champions League. Though the club still lacks competition but the league produces great talents. Ligue 1 is the 5th most watched football league in the world, recording a total attendance of 8,551,612 in the 2024/25 season.

4. Serie A – Italy

The Italian Serie A is among the most competitive leagues in the world, with Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, AS Roma and Napoli among the more iconic ones in the division. The league averaged almost 25,000 fans in the stadiums and grossed over 2 million views when Cristiano Ronaldo played for the Bianconeris. Although he’s no longer at the club, Serie A continues to draw record viewerships, especially with both Milan sides resurging after struggling for almost a decade.

It is broadcast in over 100 countries, with steady stadium attendances reflecting Italy’s deep-rooted football culture. Recent investments and player signings have brought Serie A back into global discussions, and legendary stadiums like the San Siro continue to attract loyal crowds. making Serie A one of the most watched league in the world.

3. La Liga – Spain

The era of the Kings of football Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, took the Spanish first division to new heights, making it the center of world football for more than a decade. Their battles in the El Clasico remained one of the most watched events in sporting history in the world. Even after their departure, La Liga remains one of the strongest and most watched football leagues worldwide.

Talking about numbers, last season, the Primera League of Spain had a total of 11,406,042 fans attending the games across 38 gameweeks and has a huge online fan following with numbers crossing he mark of 10million on both Instagram and X. What makes La Liga truly special is its rich history and global appeal, shaped by legendary players and unforgettable rivalries.

2. Bundesliga – Germany

Germany’s Bundesliga is second in terms of global viewership and first when it comes to average stadium attendance per match. Renowned for its affordable tickets and loyal fan bases, the league is on constant growth. The German league has already taken over some of the best leagues in the world, such as La Liga and Serie A, in terms of viewership.

Bundesliga matches provide a festival-like experience. Clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund attract millions of viewers across 200+ countries. The league is admired for its youth development system and the attacking brand of football it promotes. Even mid-table clubs can fill massive stadiums, contributing to the league’s extremely high cumulative attendance. Last season total of 11,830,600 fans registered their presence in various stadiums of Bundesliga teams, making them second in our list.

1. Premier League – England

The Best League in the World also leads the race for the most watched football leagues in the world. The league single-handedly caters to over 643 million viewers per game and have a TV audience of 3.2 billion people, which makes them the most watched league in the world. Additionally, because of better competitiveness compared to other leagues in the list, they have attracted investments from across the world, helping the league rise to the top as the richest leagues in the world.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, with 17 other English Premier League teams drew a combined total of 15,380,351 fans to their stadiums last season. Not only are they ahead of others in global viewership in the real world, but their engagements on digital platforms are miles away from the 2nd ranked league. With continuous growth, it is unlikely that any other league will be able to take over them to become the most-watched league anytime soon.