Unveiling Football’s Most Watched League in the World (2026 Edition)

The most beloved sport on the planet, Football unites billions of people worldwide, making it the most popular among hundreds of sports played regularly. International competitions like the World Cup, Euros, and Copa América draw massive viewers at regular intervals, but the heart of football popularity lies in club football. In this article, we focus on the league that attracts huge audiences and is referred to as one of most watched league in the world.

Leagues around the world are getting intense, with investment bringing established players and 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 going to find out the most watched football league.

List of Most Watched Football League in the World

The table below lists the top 10 most watched football leagues. To keep things transparent, we have also given the factors on which we have ranked the top 10 most-watched leagues in the world. Find out which league has managed to win the hearts and eyes of the global football audience in 2026.

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 like MLS.
• 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 social media platforms, such as Instagram, X and Facebook, are covered under this metric.

Which is the Most Watched Football League in 2026?

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 Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp and Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff, all have come from this league. Eredivisie has been a hotspot for elite talents, and the young talent who love to show some flair and unmatchable skills during the matches. The league is covered in over 80 countries and has a solid domestic fan culture.

Dutch clubs like Ajax, PSV, and Feyenoord are household names, especially in European competitions. 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 league 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.

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. Portuguese sides 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 Portugal's top division Liga Portugal, 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 that most of them are filled to 90% capacity on every matchday. Liga Portugal records total attendance in the 2024-25 season crossed the mark of 3,500,00, making it one of the most watched football league among top EU nations.

8. Liga MX – Mexico

Liga MX is the most watched league and one of the most popular leagues in 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.

In fact, Mexican Liga MX Matches are frequently high-scoring, and fan engagement is intense, with clubs like Tigres, Monterrey, and Pumas boasting passionate followings. With stadiums of small capacity, the attendance is lower, but if you follow the league closely, those stadiums are packed with fans. Players like the Spanish legend Sergio Ramos, Lucas Ocampos, Sergio Canales and James Rodriguez are a few stars who have helped the league grow 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 of talent. Later on, it became home to some famous personalities that football has ever witnessed. The Brazilian Serie A 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 it. 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 and culture. Its massive fanbase across Brazil and worldwide contributes to healthy stadium numbers and viewership globally, although infrastructure and economic factors sometimes limit attendance figures. 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

Major League Soccer 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. The arrival of global stars like Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller, Son Heung-min, Luiz Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba – skyrocketed the highest viewership of MLS matches in its history. The MLS Cup final between Inter Miami and Vancouver Whitecaps attracted global attention.

MLS is now a new favourite league for football fanatics to tune in to. 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, 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 the biggest team in the division, boasting several marquee names – European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, and AS Monaco, but other clubs also have equal participation. However, with the rise of clubs like RC Lens, Nice, Lille and Stade Rennes, there has been renewed interest in the French top division. It reached its peak following the arrival of Lionel Messi in Paris in 2021, and the average viewership per game is 10.5 million viewers.

The league has been in decline since the exits of prominent players like Neymar, Sergio Ramos, Kylian Mbappe, and Lionel Messi left the league. Regardless, the French top tier was able to attract new fans after the exceptional run of PSG in the UEFA Champions League. Though the club still lacks competition, the league produces great talents. Ligue 1 is the 5th most watched 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 SSC 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.

Though it has struggled to find broadcasters in South Asian regions in recent times due to declining popularity. Yet Serie A 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 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 centre of world football for more than a decade. Their battles in the El Clásico 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. Spanish clubs have been dominating the European competitions in the past two decades.

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 the 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. La Liga is still home to Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Vini Jr, Jude Bellingham, Nico Williams and more global superstars.

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 in 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 are no less than a festival-like experience; packed stands, vibrant fan culture and entertaining football.

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 has a TV audience of 3.2 billion people, which makes it 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, Chelsea, and 16 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.