Football is not only the most popular sport to watch and spectate in the United Kingdom (UK) and England, but also the most popular team sport to participate in. Between November 2023 and November 2024, roughly 2.2 million people in England played the sport.
Football nation
Being home to not only the biggest football league but the biggest and most successful sports league in the world, the Premier League, England has many football fans who support the sport with famous clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool FC, Arsenal FC or Manchester City.
Champions League
Some of these top tier clubs compete in the UEFA Champions League with other high division teams, primarily from the other ’Big Five’ football leagues in Europe, Germany, Spain, Italy and France. In 2023/24, Real Madrid came out as the victor, winning their 15th Champions League title that season.
Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24
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Sport England. (April 24, 2025). Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 04, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/
Sport England. "Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24." Chart. April 24, 2025. Statista. Accessed June 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/
Sport England. (2025). Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 04, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/
Sport England. "Number of People Participating in Football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24." Statista, Statista Inc., 24 Apr 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/
Sport England, Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/ (last visited June 04, 2025)
Number of people participating in football in England from 2015-16 to 2023-24 [Graph], Sport England, April 24, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/934866/football-participation-uk/
