ISL clubs Bengaluru FC and FC Goa feature among top ten improvers
Liverpool has emerged as the most improved football team in India in YouGov’s 2025 rankings, with a +3.6 change in score.
YouGov’s Sports on the rise in 2025 (India) report highlights the brands that have seen the biggest year-on-year improvements in overall brand health in India. Rankings are based on changes to YouGov’s Index score, which combines six key metrics: impression, quality, value, satisfaction, recommend, and reputation.
Liverpool’s rise follows a landmark season in which the club clinched its 20th Premier League title, equalling Manchester United’s record. The Reds also led improvements across all demographics, posting the strongest gains among men (+3.1), women (+4.2), Gen Z (+2.9), and Gen X (+6.6).
The rankings underscore India’s passion for both international football giants and homegrown clubs. Two Indian teams made the top ten: Bengaluru FC (+3.0), who reached the ISL Cup Finals, and FC Goa (+2.2), who finished second in the Indian Super League.
The Premier League was strongly represented, with Liverpool, Arsenal (+2.5), and Manchester City (+2.1) all making the list. Italy’s AC Milan (+2.8) and Inter Milan (+2.6), Spain’s Real Madrid (+2.3) and FC Sevilla (+1.8), and Portugal’s FC Porto (+1.8) also featured among the top improvers.
Demographic highlights
Liverpool led improvements across fan groups, recording the biggest uplift among women (+4.2) and Gen X (+6.6), while also topping Gen Z (+2.9). Inter Milan and AC Milan also resonated strongly with older fans, recording significant increases among Gen X (+6.1 and +5.5 respectively).
Among Indian clubs, Bengaluru FC saw a particularly strong rise among women (+3.6) and Millennials (+3.4), underlining its broad and diverse appeal. Jamshedpur (+2.6 Gen Z) and FC Goa (+3.0 Millennials) also stood out, pointing to growing engagement with ISL teams among younger audiences.
Overall, the data shows a split between European football clubs driving loyalty among older fans, while Indian clubs are gaining traction with younger demographics and women, reflecting the evolving dynamics of football fandom in India.
Methodology
The insights and brand tracking data in this report have been sourced via YouGov’s always-on sports brand trackers, YouGov SportsIndex, and FootballIndex.
The Index score within YouGov SportsIndex is a composite measure that summarizes overall brand health for sports properties. The six-component metrics of the Index score are: Impression, quality, value, satisfaction, recommend and reputation. Brands are ranked based on their change in Index scores (round to one decimal) between July 1st, 2024, and June 30th, 2025, compared to July 1st, 2023, and June 30th, 2024. The surveys are based on nationally representative samples.
For a brand to qualify as a most-improved brand, it must have scores available for at least 18 months (548 days). In cases where the change in scores is the same, the current scores are used as a secondary metric to determine their ranking. A minimum base size of 300 (n) is required.