Chelsea is easily one of the UK’s biggest football teams, both in terms of its top-flight track record and the sheer number of supporters it can muster.
Average attendance at Stamford Bridge in the last season was close to the stadium’s 40,044 capacity. Given that there are at least 28,000 season ticket holders, anyone can appreciate that this is a club with a well-earned reputation for popularity, both in London and across the rest of the country.
But what about the global reach of Chelsea? Football is the world’s most-watched sport, and some estimates put the number of fans at over 3.5 billion. Here’s the lowdown on how widely supported the Blues are in a few other countries that are just as football crazy as the people of Great Britain.
South Africa
While Brits might associate South Africa with Rugby and Cricket, this country of 64 million is far more besotted with the beautiful game than any other sport.
In fact, many will remember the 2020 FIFA World Cup being hosted there, and while the drone of vuvuzelas might have dominated many broadcasts, the event showcased the extent of South Africa’s football obsession. It’s so similar to the UK that fans can place a soccer bet in South Africa to back their favourite Premier League team, alongside games in the flagship domestic league.
Chelsea’s popularity in this country is partly to do with the club’s history of signing some of the African continent’s biggest stars, with Didier Drogba being the most conspicuous example. He might not actually hail from South Africa, but Drogba’s shadow looms large across the entire continent.
We might also be on the cusp of seeing Chelsea’s influence grow further, as earlier this year they paid a reported £700,000 to sign budding wunderkind Camden Schraper. At just 13 years old, this South African stalwart is heralded as a future asset.
Italy
As with South Africa, the popularity of Chelsea in Italy is founded on the principle that when a prominent player, coach or manager from a different part of the world ends up at a Premier League club, people from their home country will start to take notice.
Over the years, there have been various prominent Italians who left their mark at Stamford Bridge. Carlo Ancelotti is one of the major factors in spurring the club’s popularity in this part of Europe, as well as winning over fans back home for his successes as a manager. Those who were fans back in the 90s will also have a connection via Gianfranco Zola and Roberto Di Matteo.
And if you need any more proof of Chelsea’s clout overseas, the fact that it’s official Facebook profile boasts 56 million followers, the second highest number of any Premier League team, should cement that fact.
Mexico
It might be painful to admit it, but Manchester United is still the world’s most-supported Premier League club, regardless of the metrics that you use. However, Chelsea is a close second in many places. But in Mexico, it’s arguably a frontrunner.
This isn’t some theory snatched from nowhere or wishful thinking. This is data taken from Google Trends, a tool that lets you see how many people are searching for particular terms in different places. When you stack Man U up against the Blues and filter by Mexico’s population over the last 12 months, Chelsea has a clean sweep in every region of the country.
Brazil
Last but not least, the dominance of Chelsea compared with other Premier League sides is particularly apparent in Brazil, at least from the point of view of Google search volumes. The obvious explanation here is that three members of the team hail from this football-mad nation, bringing legions of fans along with them, even if they can only enjoy their on-pitch escapades remotely in most cases.
There’s a sense that such support from overseas is more fickle than home-grown fandom, but the truth is that when young Brazilians are exposed to their heroes wearing a Chelsea shirt and making waves in the UK, it creates a bond of engagement that’s hard to break.
Wrapping Up
The short answer to the question of Chelsea’s international popularity is that, as a side, it’s better supported than all but a handful of other teams. And that doesn’t just mean in the Premier League; the Blues are bigger than the vast majority of clubs in Italy, Spain, or anywhere else you’d care to name.
So if you’re travelling internationally, don’t be surprised if you bump into fans from other countries who are just as passionate about Chelsea as you.
