The alternative Premier League table: the most followed squads on Instagram
- Dave Endsor
- Sep 9
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 22
The transfer window has slammed shut and Premier League summer spending has reached a new record – over £3 billion.
As reported by BBC Sport, the total is "more than was spent by Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A clubs combined" – proving the power and popularity of English football's top tier.
It's a financial juggernaut that seems to show no signs of slowing down.
A big part of that popularity is not just the quality of the football and the players the league attracts, but also the accessibility we have to these stars via social media.
Getting your social media strategy right is essential for any business, but it's especially important for football clubs where their 'assets' are some of the most loved (and occasionally hated) individuals in sport, and wider culture. Their voices have power and clubs aim to tap into that presence as much as possible.
So, in the name of research, we've combined two of our passions here at Chapter – football and social media – to analyse the most followed Premier League squads on Instagram.
Let's dive in...
Who are the most followed Premier League squads on Instagram?
We've analysed each Premier League squad – using the lists from the Fantasy Premier League website – and found every public Instagram account for every player, adding them all together to create an alternative Premier League table.
The findings are fascinating, and there are a number of surprises. Here are the final standings:
However, starting with something that perhaps isn't a surprise is the fact that Liverpool have the most-followed Premier League squad on Instagram, with over 147 million.
The reigning champions' spending reached nearly £450m during the summer, adding some incredible firepower on the pitch, and an extra 13 million squad followers off it.
Manchester City were second with their squad adding up to just over 97 million followers by the end of the window. A big number, but it's still 50 million lower than Liverpool's final total.
Interestingly, Mo Salah (66 million) and Virgil van Dijk (16.9 million) make up 56% of Liverpool's squad followers, while Erling Haaland (38 million) is 39% of Manchester City's.
The red half of Manchester secured third place, demonstrating the continued global appeal of its players and brand despite woeful performances in recent seasons. Tthe club remains the most valuable team in the league and the second most valuable in the world – neither of which are likely to appease many of its fans.
We're not sure how much more of a hammering they can take, but for now they're still a big player in terms of brand awareness and value... off the pitch anyway!
The relegation places in the real league may look very different by the time the season ends in May, but the Instagram squad equivalent contains one surprise – Bournemouth. The other two, Leeds United and Wolves, are tipped to be fighting relegation when the league wraps up next year, but The Cherries are expected to survive. We'll find out next year!
Finally, newly-promoted Burnley can thank Kyle Walker for keeping them off the bottom – with a lofty finish of 13th – as the right back's 5.5+ million followers account for over half of their squad.
In total, Premier League squads add up to over 708 million followers on Instagram. However one man in the world nearly dominates them all... and yes, that's Cristiano Ronaldo. The most followed individual on the platform, he has over 663 million followers. If you removed Aston Villa and Bournemouth from the list, Ronaldo has more followers than the other 18 squads combined.
The South American factor
Despite the fact that England is the birthplace of football, South America is arguably its spiritual home. The World Cup, for example, doesn't feel complete until we see the impact of South American players and their fans.
That's reflective in the huge number of Instagram followers for various players from the continent, particularly a number of Brazilians and Argentinians plying their trade in the Premier League.
Here are a few that standout and what percentage of the total squad's followers they represent:
The impact of England (and careers at trophy-winning clubs)
While there are many highly-followed English players at teams near the top half of the Instagram squad table (e.g. Bukayo Saka with 7.4 million, Phil Foden with 12.2 million and Cole Palmer with 8.3 million), their follower count is a smaller percentage in comparison to the overall squad – thanks to many of their teammates also having high follower numbers.
However, the impact of England internationals past and present is more keenly felt at the teams towards the middle and lower half of the Instagram squad table.
This is most relevant at four clubs in particular – Brentford, Brighton, Burnley and Everton. Three of which include an English player who accounts for over 50% of their squad's total number of followers. All four players have also won the Premier League and Champions League with previous clubs, so their wider appeal is naturally higher.
The Instagram dream team XI
Any Premier League research would not be complete without a dream XI. A team ready to take on the rest of the league thanks to their Instagram domination.
And it looks like this one would do pretty well!
4-2-3-1 was by far the most popular formation in the Premier League last season and we've picked the players based on their classification on the Fantasy Premier League website.
With the likes of van Dijk, Salah and Haaland, this team is going to prove a challenge for any other XI. Add in the three Argentinian World Cup winners of Emi Martinez, Lisandro Martinez and Enzo Fernandez and we have a solid foundation for success.
Only two English players make the line-up – Phil Foden and Kyle Walker – but this isn't too much of a surprise when you consider that over 70% of Premier League players are from overseas.
Player power on and off the pitch
Premier League footballers are some of the most recognisable players – and individuals – on the planet.
We as fans are fascinated and often obsessed with their lives beyond those weekly doses of 90 minutes. From tracking planes via Flight Radar on Transfer Deadline Day to virtual spats against rival fans as we defend our heroes... it all goes on. We need to know as much as we can about them, from photos in action to heavily curated montages – whatever the content.
We revel in it... and then demand more!
Commenting on the research, social media strategist and Chapter founder, Dave Endsor, said:
"Footballers' Instagram accounts have evolved over the years as more and more players become brands in their own right. This means their channels are far more curated than they ever have been, but equally they're far more viewed too.
"As clubs increase their visibility through pre, post and even mid-season tours to the likes of Asia and America, player profiles continue to rise as they reach new markets – increasing their revenue potential beyond their limited playing careers."
Endsor added, "Clubs have also realised the impact of social for their own means, knowing that signing a highly marketable – yet still talented player – can reap huge commercial rewards. These players can often represent far more than their position or country of birth, but even their whole continent, mixed nationality, ethnicity or even religion.
"With the expanded World Cup and Champions League, plus the revamped Club World Cup, players are more visible than they ever have been, and interest in them continues to soar."
If you're interested in working with Chapter to help you get the most out of social media, please get in touch.