A number of football clubs can stake strong claims to being the biggest in the world, while others can reasonably argue that they boast the most support.
El Clasico behemoths Real Madrid and Barcelona are followed by fans across the globe, while the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Juventus are massive teams with longstanding traditions of success.
Google has compiled a list of the sports teams that trended the most in 2021 and there is no shortage of football clubs - GOAL brings you all the details.
Most popular sports teams on Google in 2021
Real Madrid were top of the list in 2021 when it came to most popular sports teams on Google's 'Year in Search' for the past year, with English Premier League side Chelsea following in second place.
Paris Saint-Germain, Lionel Messi's new team, are third on the list, just ahead of Spanish giants Barcelona - the team Messi departed during the summer. Brazilian outfit Palmeiras complete a top five that is totally dominated by football teams.
Rank | Team | Sport |
|---|---|---|
1 | Real Madrid | Football |
2 | Chelsea | Football |
3 | Paris Saint-Germain | Football |
4 | Barcelona | Football |
5 | Palmeiras | Football |
6 | Los Angeles Lakers | Basketball |
7 | Corinthians | Football |
8 | Boston Red Sox | Baseball |
9 | Sao Paulo | Football |
10 | Manchester City | Football |
Basketball team Los Angeles Lakers are sixth on the list, followed by Brazilian soccer team Corinthians in seventh, with iconic Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox next in eighth place.
Another Brazilian team, Sao Paulo are ninth, with the 2020-21 Premier League champions Manchester City completing the top 10.
In all, there are eight football teams in the top 10, with one baseball team and one basketball team. Of those eight football teams, three come from Brazil, two come from England, two come from Spain and one comes from France.
Chelsea's are the highest ranking English team on the list and their position was arguably boosted by the fact that the Blues won the 2020-21 Champions League, beating Man City in the final. City are the only other English team in the top 10, with traditional powerhouses such as Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all conspicuous by their absence.
PSG's position on the list - third, ahead of Barcelona - is more than likely influenced by the arrival of Messi in August 2021. The Argentine's near-immediate impact off the field for the French club has been well documented, with massive growth also reported on their social media channels, close to one million shirts sold and sponsorship proposals have flooded.
Globally, meanwhile, Christian Eriksen was the athlete who trended most in 2021, with the Denmark playmaker ranking ahead of Tiger Woods, Simone Biles and Emma Raducanu. Other sports stars behind Eriksen in the list include American football star Odell Beckham Jr and boxer Tyson Fury.
The former Tottenham player, who was recently released by Italian club Inter, prompted deep interest and concern when he collapsed on the pitch during a Euro 2020 game for his country against Finland.
Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest in the game and his life was saved by the quick-thinking of his team-mates and the Denmark medical team.