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Indian football has had a boost in visibility ever since the Indian Super League was established in 2014, but football in India has been a popular sport throughout its more than 150-year history in the country.
Having been introduced to the sport by the British during the mid 19th century, India has lapped up football over the years but not on a scale that has been seen in recent years. The digital boom in India is almost at its peak and the advent of the ISL three years ago played a key role in popularising Indian football across various media, not least social media.
Indian football clubs, like their foreign counterparts, enjoy massive support on various social media like Facebook and Twitter, as fan engagement is at an all-time high. Football players are now close to their fans in every part of the globe like never before, something which has been brought about by the social media boom that came about a decade ago and its use as a platform for football clubs, Indian ones included, to interact with their fans.
That kind of engagement has reached a new level in Indian football of late, with social media following becoming some kind of bragging rights for clubs to fight for.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five Indian football clubs who enjoy the largest following on Facebook.
#5 Delhi Dynamos - 642k
The team from the capital haven't had much to celebrate in terms of trophies in their three-year history so far, but Delhi Dynamos have one of the biggest Facebook followings among Indian clubs. At the time of writing, the ISL outfit has amassed over 642k followers on their official Facebook page, one of the best in Indian football.
While small clubs like Aizawl FC are upsetting the odds by winning league titles miraculously, Delhi Dynamos are at least getting their Facebook game right. The Lions also have something to hold on to regarding their on-pitch performances; they jointly hold the record for the longest unbeaten winning streak at home in ISL's history.
#4 FC Pune City - 888k
The Stallions have been utterly disappointing in their three ISL campaigns so far, finishing short of the playoffs places despite their massive outlay on players over the years. However, one thing for which FC Pune City should be lauded is the fact that they have garnered over 888k Facebook followers in a little more than three years, despite their obvious on-pitch problems.
Pune City have once again splashed the cash on big-name players for the coming ISL season, and their massive Facebook fan base, far bigger than the legendary Mohun Bagan's, suggests that any success on the pitch could translate to an even higher number of Facebook followers, usurping the clubs ahead of them on this list.
#3 Kerala Blasters - 986k
It is quite surprising to find Kerala Blasters in such a lowly position on the list given their well-documented massive supporter base. The Kochi-based club have, until now, clocked about 986k likes on their official Facebook page, which is a little less than one of their fiercest ISL rivals, ATK.
Kerala Blasters are bound to improve their social media following later this year as the likes of Dimitar Berbatov and Iain Hume - high-profile stars - are set to don the club's yellow shirt. The two teams above them are at serious risk of being overtaken by the Blasters, but as things stand, the club's fans have to remain content with a third place finish.
#2 ATK - 1.09 million
Kolkata is widely considered to be the home of Indian football, and as the only ISL club from the "City of Joy", ATK deserve a top standing on this list. However, the Red and Whites' 1.09 million followers on Facebook is still shy of the numbers accumulated by the leader. That said, ATK are the most successful ISL club and they haven't been left behind in off-the-pitch matters as well.
The Kolkata-based club are set to gain enormous increments to their social media following, considering they spent heavily on the signing of the legendary Robbie Keane earlier this summer. Whether Keane delivers on the pitch or not remains to be seen, but he will surely improve the club's social media numbers by the end of the 2017-18 ISL.
#1 East Bengal - 1.38 million
It is not surprising to see one big Kolkata giant top this list. East Bengal enjoy a fanatical support all over India and the world, and that is reflected in the club's whopping 1.38 million Facebook followers. The Red and Golds will play in the lower profile I-League next season, but their masses of supporters will ensure that the club remain one of the biggest in Indian football irrespective of the league they play in, as evidenced by their social media following.
The Red and Golds easily trump every other Indian football club in terms of Facebook following, and that is one area where they are well ahead of local rivals Mohun Bagan. East Bengal are a prime example of the fact that there is football in India beyond the ISL, and their number of followers on Facebook is a big proof of that.
