Women’s football: 28.5 million fans worldwide for the top two English divisions

The top two divisions of English women’s football (the Barclays Women's Super League and the Barclays Women's Super League 2) have a combined fanbase of 28.5 million fans worldwide, according to the results of a study conducted by consultancy agency YouGov, published by WSL Football on 22/01/2026.

The study notably distinguishes between ”fans”, defined as individuals who consume content via television, YouTube, social media or online, and ”followers”, defined as individuals showing any form of interest in WSL-related properties.

This latter category totals 103 million people worldwide, of which 79 million follow at least one club, while 23% say they are interested in the league and the players without affiliation to a specific club.

The United States represents the leading international market for English women’s club football "in terms of fans, with strong engagement", while Japan accounts for the third-largest fanbase, which recorded the highest level of YouTube video consumption of any international market during the 2024-25 season.

Among the other key findings regarding the global…