The Indian Super League is getting bigger and bigger with each passing year with this upcoming season expected to be the biggest of them all. With the league now being four months long and getting recognition from AFC, surely the ISL is expected to be at the peak of its popularity. The season four is expected to cause an uproar from the fans, on and off the field.
As any popular league in the world, ISL has its fair share of supporters on social media platforms. The current footballing scenario sees the game being discussed on Twitter and Facebook more than even in a team's dressing room.
This level of engagement on some of the biggest social media platforms on the internet give fans of various teams another topic to debate upon as to which side is the most popular on social media. So without wasting further time, let's take a look at the five ISL clubs with the highest following on Twitter:
#5 FC Goa - 286k Twitter followers
Barring a final appearance in the second season, FC Goa's stint in the ISL have not gone as planned. The Gaurs often start well but lose their plot in the middle and finish meekly. But that has not deterred the loyal fan base of Goa to follow their favourite stars on social media platforms passionately.
With a Twitter following of 286 thousand, FC Goa are the fifth most followed ISL club in the world. Goa is a football mad state and it is obvious that a team from the picturesque city of Panaji will have a huge backing from the locals and other supporters alike.
#4 Chennaiyin FC - 338k Twitter followers
Be it for their super famous owners or their highly efficient foreign players, the Marina Machans are one of the most loved clubs in the country. Chennaiyin FC won the ISL in 2015 thanks to the efforts of Stiven Mendoza and co. From the first season itself, Chennaiyin have had a strong fan base which has supported them through the good and the bad times.
Cricket or football, Chennai loves its sporting teams and the ISL team is no exception. The official Twitter account of the club has 338 thousand followers which is a staggering number for a club just three years old.
#3 NorthEast United - 365k Twitter followers
The Highlanders can be said to be everyone's second favourite team in the ISL because of their ability to develop young stars from northeast India each season and play an attacking brand of football. Though the John Abraham-owned side have underperformed when it has mattered in the latter stages of the tournament, NorthEast United are one of the most followed teams in the country.
The club currently have a Twitter backing of around 368 thousand followers and another promising campaign in the ISL will mean more followers for the club on social media. The small club with an ever smaller budget should be appreciated for their acumen off the field too to have garnered such a huge audience on Twitter.
#2 ATK - 399k Twitter followers
The most successful club in the competition (with a different name though) from the home of Indian football is an obvious entrant in this elite list. ATK have won two ISL titles out of three available and complementing their on-field expertise is their social media influence.
ATK currently have 399 thousand followers on their official account on Twitter, making them the second most followed club among 10 teams in the ISL. Meanwhile, the arrival of star man Robbie Keane will surely help the club cross the half million mark soon in the space of the next few months.
#1 Kerala Blasters - 1.1 million Twitter followers
The Yellow Army is not only one of the highlighting features of the Kerala Blasters but it is for the ISL as a whole. The Blasters have a massive backing on and off the field which makes them the top club in the country, based on their Twitter followers.
With a massive following of 1.1 million on Twitter, Kerala Blasters are the only club to cross the 1 million mark on the social media network. Blasters have strengthened insanely this summer with the arrival of Wes Brown, Dimitar Berbatov, while the re-signing of Iain Hume has also contributed in making them one of the most followed sides in the country, this time as well.