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. More than 200 nations have their own national teams, and many of them even have their own domestic leagues. The global football landscape is much wider in recent times. Every week, millions of fans turn in to watch their favourite team battling against another team. In 2025, if you go to any country, you will find their domestic league, with over 100+ leagues going on right now, with thousands of teams participating in them. 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. 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 Leagues in the World

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. Now, someone sitting in Africa can watch the Premier League, a resident of America can see the Spanish league, La Liga. With deals extending to Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, these leagues ensure accessibility through local broadcasters and online services, reaching millions of fans with every matchday. Some leagues have seen a drastic surge in their viewership, so we bet that you can’t predict the top 10 leagues.

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.

Top 10 Most Watched Football Leagues in the World

10 Eredivisie – Netherlands

The dutch league is widely followed around the world for its rich history (players like 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. You may have seen these teams in Champions League and wondered where these clubs are from – They belong to Eredivisie!

The league is covered in over 80 countries and has a solid domestic following. Though the average attendance of 10,408,782 is lower compared to that of top leagues, the quality of homegrown players and attacking football keeps fans engaged worldwide. If you want to watch an interesting football game, you can go for this league. The main clubs from these leagues are PSV, Ajax, and Feyenoord.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	80+
Total Attendance	5,037,155

9. Primeira Liga – 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 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 who can beat any kind of 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. Portuguese clubs are famous for scouting and developing future stars, which adds to the league’s appeal.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	100+
Total Attendance	3,455,628

8. Liga MX – Mexico

Liga MX is the most watched league and most popular league in the southern North America. The club is a little bit dramatic. 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. It averages 25,557 people in stadiums during matchdays, according to official figures. TV viewership has also increased to 3.7 million lately. Meanwhile, Club America are the most successful side in the league with 13 titles.

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 a stadium of small capacity, the attendance is lower, but if you follow the league closely, that stadiums are packed with fans completely. The league is broadcasted in over 80+ Countries.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	80+ Countries
Total Attendance	2,638,361

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 some famous personalities worldwide. Known for producing football legends, 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.

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. 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.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	100+
Total Attendance	1,463,789

Also Read : Top 10 Best Leagues In The World

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 Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba the Inter Miami has the highest viewership in the matches of MLS. Meanwhile, due to the footballing stars coming to this league, it has attracted audience from around the world.

The League’s overall attendance this season was around 2,955,354, which is lower compared to the top 5 leagues, but one of the reasons 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 also.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	180+
Total Attendance	2,955,354

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. The clubhas viewership of 7,737,949 making it the 5th most watched football league.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	150+ countries
Total Attendance	7,737,949

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 amassed 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.

Also Read : List of Top Soccer leagues in the World

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	100+ countries
Total Attendance	10,408,782

3. La Liga – Spain

For the longest time, Real Madrid and Barcelona have contested arguably the greatest club football rivalry in Europe. It’s no surprise, then, that the Spanish La Liga ranks as high as this. During the Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi years, the league probably had more following than anywhere else in the world, as the famed El Clasico was fiercely contested with these two in the lead.

Los Blancos are the most successful team in La Liga with 36 titles, including one this season, followed by Barcelona with 27 top-flight trophies. The competition garners a staggering 76 million viewers on average per game.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	180+ countries
Total Attendance	9,950,029

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 afterwards – Now its more competitive with more talented players than ever.

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.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	180+ countries
Total Attendance	10,783,855

1. Premier League – England

Surprise, surprise! The English Premier League leads global club football in terms of viewership, with 643 million viewers per game, while boasting a TV audience of 3.2 billion people. It’s also the richest league in the world since there are top clubs in the division, and each of them has a massive following around the globe.

Manchester United are the most successful team with 20 league titles, although Manchester City have been the dominant team in recent years, winning each of the last three seasons and five of the last six. With teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Arsenal, the EPL consistently pulls in audiences from over 180 countries. With 13,000,000+ attendance this season the league has conquered number 1 spot in our list of most watched league in the world.

Key Factors	Figures
Countries Covered	180+ countries
Total Attendance	13,488,841

List of Most Watched Football League in the World

Rank	League Name	Country	No. of Clubs	No. of Countries Covered (Estimate)	Total Attendance*
1	Premier League	England	20	180+ countries	13,488,841
2	Bundesliga	Germany	18	180+ countries	10,783,855
3	La Liga	Spain	20	180+ countries	9,950,029
4	Serie A	Italy	20	100+ countries	10,408,782
5	Ligue 1	France	18	150+ countries	7,737,949
6	Major League Soccer (MLS)	United States	29	180+ countries	2,955,354
7	Brasileirão Série A	Brazil	20	100+ countries	1,463,789
8	Liga MX	Mexico	18	80+ countries	2,638,361
9	Primeira Liga	Portugal	18	100+ countries	3,455,628
10	Eredivisie	Netherlands	18	80+ countries	5,037,155

Also Read: Know How English Football Pyramid Works

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