German giants Borussia Dortmund may just have the best fans in the world and evidence to back up that statement comes in CIES Football Observatory's report on the highest average home attendances over the last five years.
CIES published the top 50 and it's Dortmund who sit at the top of the table, averaging 80,230 fans at Signal Iduna Park. Cheap season tickets and the immense football culture at Dortmund is clearly paying dividends.
Manchester United are in second with 75,218, with their most recent opponents Barcelona just behind courtesy of an average gate of 74,846.
Advert
Bayern Munich are the second-highest of the Bundesliga outfits, though the likes of Schalke, Hamburg and Stuttgart are all high up to ensure the German top-flight is the best-supported league in the world.
Real Madrid and Arsenal also make the top, which is completed by MLS outfit Atlanta United, who are the highest non-European club in the standings - all the more impressive considering they were only formed in 2014.
Manchester City, who get a lot of stick for their attendances, find themselves in 12th position with a fairly respectable 50,684 fans coming into the Etihad on average - just ahead of Newcastle United and St James' Park in 13th.
Advert
Report authors Drs Raffaele Poli, Loïc Ravenel and Roger Besson said the figures highlight how popular football has become in the United States, Canada, China and Mexico.
"Despite the increase in the number of teams participating in the MLS, average attendances have consistently increased to break the 20,000-spectator threshold over the past five years. This limit has also been broken in China, where football's popularity is henceforth well established too," the report reads.
"Germany appears as the footballing country par excellence. Although also very popular, English and Spanish clubs have considerably less spectators than German teams. Outside of Europe, Mexican clubs attract the biggest crowds."
Here is the list of 50 in full, courtesy of talkSPORT:
Advert
50. Real Betis - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 35,664
49. Persepolis FC - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 36,025
48. Urawa Red Diamonds - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 36,468
47. Valencia - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 37,615
Advert
46. Roma - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 37,612
45. Everton - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,451
44. Napoli - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,475
43. Beijing Guoan - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,761
Advert
42. Juventus - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,778
41. Athletic Bilbao - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,974
40. Olympique Lyonnais - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 38,995
39. Sporting Lisbon - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 39,068
38. Sunderland - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 39,249
37. Monterrey - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 40,658
36. Werder Bremen - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 40,860
35. Tigres - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,091
34. Tottenham Hotspur - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,335
33. Chelsea - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,463
32. AC Milan - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,495
31. Club America - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,527
30. Hannover - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 41,966
29. Seattle Sounders - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 42,797
28. West Ham United - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 43,567
27. Marseille- Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 44,169
26. Guangzhou Evergrande - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 44,905
25. Paris Saint-Germain - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 45,912
24. Feyenoord Rotterdam - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 46,314
23. Inter Milan - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 46,654
22. Atletico Madrid - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 47,553
21. Liverpool - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 47,861
20. Eintracht Frankfurt - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 47,942
19. FC Koln - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 48,346
18. Rangers - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 49,054
17. Hertha Berlin - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 49,476
16. Celtic - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 49,697
15. Ajax - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 49,781
14. Benfica - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 50,077
13. Newcastle United - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 50,721
12. Manchester City - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 50,864
11. Borussia Monchengladbach - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 51,369
10. Atlanta United - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 51,547*
9. Stuttgart - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 52,012
8. Hamburg - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 52,349
7. Arsenal - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 59,793
6. Schalke - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 61,328
5. Real Madrid - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 69,822
4. Bayern Munich - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 73,781
3. Barcelona - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 74,876
2. Manchester United - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 75,218
1. Borussia Dortmund - Average attendance between 2013-2018 = 80,230
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Manchester City, Football News, FC Barcelona, Football, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid
