There are many great sets of fans in the world at the club level, though some stand above and apart. Among the best are Roma fans in Italy, Dortmund and Schalke in Germany, Liverpool and Newcastle in England, Galatasaray and Fenerbahce in Turkey, Marseille and PSG in France, Atletico Madrid and Bilbao in Spain, Feyenoord in Holland and virtually all of the top Brazil and Argentina clubs are supported by spectacular and fanatical fans.
But what about the national team level? Here is a brief list of the best 10 in the world:
Top 10 National Team Fan-base Table
1. The Dutch – colorful and rich enough to follow their team anywhere in the world, the Dutch always bring a carnival like atmosphere everywhere they go, complete with innovative regalia, great songs, full bands, lots of fun.
2. The Argentines – in the Latin American world there are many imitators (from Chile to Mexico), but the truth is there is no fan culture more exciting, more spectacular, more inspiring than what the Argentines put together. Their songs reverberate through the stadium making the action on the pitch a second attraction.
3. The Brazilians – always colorful, always fun to have around, a little less spectacular than their
4. The Scots – despite the fact they don’t have much to celebrate, the Scottish people follow their team religiously wherever they go and are never associated with any kind of violence or drunken hooliganism abroad.
5. The Korean and Japanese fans in a tie – very passionate, very devoted and likable.
6. The Italians – although their performance at tournaments varies in terms of cohesion and strength in numbers, the Italians provide a reliable following for their beloved azzuri everywhere, generally without incidents.
7. The Croats – these fans show up all over Europe in surprisingly large numbers, especially at tournaments, and usually add a lot of flavor to the mix without being idiotic.
8. The Germans – with enemies throughout Europe, it is not easy to be a German fan. Still, Deutchland fans find a way to avoid violence aimed at their heritage and fill up their end of the stadium with … a German vibe.
9. The English – hard to leave the English out of the best fans ranking with a fiercely devoted fan base and powerful presence in any stadium, but too many instances of violence drop the English in this table.
10. The Swedes and the Danes (tied) – like the Dutch, but a couple of notches less spectacular and less interested.