Social media has changed or some would say revolutionized the way we source and consume information today. Although traditional media is still very much around and thriving, the popularity of social media is growing in leaps and bounds.

Nowadays, every stratum of society has a need for social media, from individuals, government agencies, corporations, and sports teams, many organizations have adopted the use of social media. Information dissemination is happening a lot faster with social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many more.

No doubt, sports teams have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the social media revolution because these platforms have provided avenues for them to connect and engage their fans.

There are nearly 5 billion social media accounts in the world and around a fifth of those accounts actively follow teams that compete in the four major sports leagues on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

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Social media is now embedded in the plans of most sports teams with dedicated staff to design content, branding plans, and execution.

Back in the day, fans relied on Television, Radio, and sometimes, Newspapers to be kept abreast of happenings around the team they support. But all that has changed now. Sports teams can now inform and even interact with their respective fan bases on the go and in real-time.

So, it is not surprising that they are putting a lot of effort and resources into having a virile social media department within their set-up. Big announcements, injury updates, and other pieces of information are usually disseminated on social media to keep fans engaged and get closer to their darling teams.

Interestingly, the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Major League Soccer teams have some of the highest follower counts on social media for organized sports teams.

One would think that NFL teams should be ahead of the pack in terms of social media following, but that is not the case.

So, which sports teams are the leaders in terms of social media follower numbers? Let's share our list of the top five most followed teams in American sports.

1. Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are the undisputed king of social media for organized sports teams in the United States of America.

The former NBA champions have just under 40 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter.

As with the trend with teams on this list, they have more followers on IG than on Twitter. On Instagram, they have over 31 million individuals following them.

The number on Twitter is significantly lesser, but it is still a sizable figure.

Currently, the San Francisco team has the finest crop of talents in the NBA, including the hugely talented Stephen Curry.

Curry, is an important player for the team and his popularity has also been instrumental to their phenomenal social media numbers.

He is so popular that he is one of the most sought-after active sports personalities by various brands for investments and endorsement collaborations. Curry has relationships with brands such as TCL Technologies, Automobile company, Infiniti Motors, and  Rakuten just to name a few.

It has been rumoured that many betting brands are looking to have him in their corner in one capacity or the other, but the Ohio native is reportedly averse to that idea while he is still playing active Basketball.

That's not surprising given the fact that sportsbooks in the US rely on massive advertising, and popular personalities to promote their products and betting bonuses.

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But his resolve and intention not to dabble into the online sports betting business or the promotion of sportsbook bonuses were made clearer on the occasion of the launch of his investment company, SC30, at the event it became apparent (at least at the time) that the company will steer clear of CBD and online gambling.

However, with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the players, which is scheduled to come into force on July 1st, 2003, players can now invest in online gambling.

The agreement could also lessen the moral burden on the likes of Curry to promote sportsbooks and their bonus offers. The agreement could also pave the way for many NBA stars including Steph Curry to invest in or float a Sportsbook that will rival the existing ones.

And of course, with his superstar status coupled with a nice bonus offer for both new and old players, it may not be too long before such a brand becomes one of the most sought-after sportsbooks in the United States.

2. LA Lakers

The LA Lakers are unarguably one of the most successful teams in the rich history of the NBA. They have a staggering 17 Championships in their title cabinet.

They are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most number of title wins, but that doesn't make their achievements on the court any less significant.

Their popularity on social media may not be unconnected with success stories over the years.

As of the last count, the Lakers have over 23 million Instagram followers and 117 million on Twitter.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers ranks highly in the league of American sports teams with the highest number of followers on social media.

Although they have not been as successful as other teams on the court, they are certainly proving their mettle in the social media space.

The Cleveland-based team has around 16 million active followers on Instagram, plus over 3 million followers on Twitter. The team won the NBA title in 2016, marking their first title since 1964.

4. Chicago Bulls

At number 4 are the Chicago Bulls, winners of multiple NBA titles. They are one of the traditional and most prominent teams in the NBA, and it is not surprising that they are in the top five of this category.

As of the time of writing this piece, the Chicago outfit has around 10 million followers on Instagram and a further 4.7 million people follow the franchise's Twitter account.

Their history as a successful NBA franchise may be partly responsible for these huge numbers on social media, but the people of Chicago support their team religiously.

5. Inter Miami CF

Coming in at number 5 is the sole MLS team on the list Inter Miami. The Florida-based soccer team has only been around for a few years but they have a massive following on both Instagram and Twitter.

On Instagram, the youngest MLS franchise boasts around 9 million followers and a Twitter following of just over 547,000'

Read Also: Football transfer news: Lionel Messi set for ANOTHER reunion in Inter Miami

You would be forgiven to think that their massive numbers on social media are due to the popularity of David Beckham who is the president of the franchise.

Instead, the surge in the number of followers on both Twitter and Instagram is down to the capture of Argentine soccer star, Lionel Messi.

In his first full season in the MLS, Argentine forward Lionel Messi claimed the prestigious MVP award, which is given to the best-performing player in the League for that season.

Despite missing 15 matches due to injuries and international commitments, Messi led MLS in goal contributions with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 appearances. He became the third player in the league's history to record at least 20 goals and 15 assists in a single season, following Carlos Vela (2019) and Sebastian Giovinco (2015). This achievement also marks the first time an Inter Miami player has won the award.

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Lionel Messi Secures Prestigious Honor for the First Time in His Career

Our MVP by our @InterMiamiAcad 💫 This is the #FreedomToDream pic.twitter.com/EpGWNVfeKj

— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) December 6, 2024

Inter Miami had a dominant MLS regular season, setting a record with 74 points, but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United. Messi joined the team in June 2023 after departing Paris Saint-Germain.

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Messi secured 38.4% of the average vote, edging out Hernandez, who received 33.7%. The top five was completed by Portland Timbers midfielder Evander (9.2%), DC United's Christian Benteke (7.1%), and Messi's Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez (2.2%).

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How the MVP Voting Looked Like?

1. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) --> 38.4%
2. Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew) --> 33.7%
3. Evander (Portland Timbers) --> 9.24%
4. Christian Benteke (DC United) --> 7.10%
5. Luis Suarez (Inter Miami) --> 2.17%

Messi, Busquets, and Alba led Inter Miami to victory in the Leagues Cup, a competition featuring MLS teams against Mexico's Liga MX, earning the club its first-ever trophy.

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In the 2024 season, Inter Miami excelled during the regular season, claiming the Supporters' Shield as the team with the highest points across both conferences. All these achievements helped propel Messi to win this award.

Set to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025, the restructured global club football competition will bring together 32 teams from across the world to vie for the title of world champions.

The draw, held on Thursday, December 5, 2024, in Miami, showcased an impressive lineup of continental and domestic champions from every corner of the globe.

Among the standout contenders are Spain's Real Madrid, the UEFA Champions League winners, Brazil's Botafogo, the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champions, and Egypt's Al Ahly, who are consecutive CAF Champions League winners.

New Format

Traditionally featuring six to eight teams, the FIFA Club World Cup will now adopt a new format, hosting the largest number of participants in its history. Teams earned qualification by winning their respective continental club tournaments, such as the UEFA Champions League, and based on the confederations' four-year rankings.

South America (CONMEBOL) includes six teams, whereas Europe (whose confederation is UEFA) has twelve, making up the largest representation of the 32 teams.

There are four teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), Africa (AFC), and Asia (AFC).

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami was given a spot, as the domestic champions of the host country, Oceania (OFC) got one spot as well. The top two from each of the 8 groups will advance to the knockout stages after a round-robin group stage.

The final will take place at the iconic MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey on 13 July.

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FIFA Club World Cup Groups

When is the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup?

The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States of America.

How many teams will take part in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?

A total of 32 teams from 6 continents will take part in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Lionel Messi will have a new coach at his club from next season onwards; as Inter Miami boss Gerardo 'Tata' Martino has left his position as the head coach on 20 November 2024. Martino has resigned due to some personal reasons. 

Martino leaves after winning the MLS Supporters' Shield with a record 74 points tally and crashing out of the MLS Cup play-offs in November 2024. the 62-year-old Argentinian coach also won the Leagues Cup with Miami last year.

🚨 Tata Martino’s Record as Inter Miami Coach:

🏟️ Games: 67
✅ Wins: 38
❌ Losses: 16
🤝 Draws: 13
📊 Points per game: 1.90

🏆 Leagues Cup Champion
🛡️ Supporter’s Shield Winner
📈 MLS All-Time Points Record pic.twitter.com/e2RLBXwUuC

— Inter Miami News Hub (@Intermiamicfhub) November 19, 2024

However, the Major League Soccer outfit will be looking for a new coach as Martino's heir at Miami. Inter Miami has entered the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the star-studded group will need a high-profile coach to get them to the furthest in the competition. 

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Some great profiles have already emerged as potential candidates to be the next coach of Inter Miami. Sportzpoint explores the options that can be suitable for The Herons. 

Xavi

According to the Miami Herald, former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Xavi has emerged as an option to be the head coach of Inter Miami.

Xavi Hernandez has emerged as the top candidate to replace Tata Martino as Inter Miami’s head coach, according to reports! 🔥🦩

𝑨 𝑹𝑬𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑴𝑬𝑺𝑺𝑰 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑪𝑶.? ✨#LionelMessi #Xavi #InterMiami pic.twitter.com/l9WGOoLImw

— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) November 20, 2024

The former teammate of Lionel Messi at FC Barcelona can be reunited in Miami as his name has started to surface as one of the top candidates to take up the Miami job. Xavi's former teammates such as Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are all part of the Miami squad, and that is why Xavi has emerged as the most reasonable option for The Herons. 

Xavi has not taken any other managerial job since he left his position as head coach at FC Barcelona in June 2024. He has won the LaLiga title and Supercopa de Espana in the 2022-23 season with Barca and also won seven trophies during his first tenure as a head coach for Qatar's Al-Sadd club.

Javier Mascherano

According to the Miami Herald, former Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has emerged as another top choice for the MLS outfit.

🚨 Xavi and Javier Mascherano have emerged as options for head coach at Inter Miami! 👔🇺🇸

Both are former teammates of Leo Messi. 👀

(Source: @MiamiHerald) pic.twitter.com/7ofnJsZ0K9

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 20, 2024

Javier Mascherano has emerged as another top choice to sit at the Inter Miami dugout. The former Argentine midfielder who also played with Messi, Busquets, Alba, and Suarez at FC Barcelona was also a close teammate of Lionel Messi in the Argentina national team during his time.

However, Mascherano is currently the manager of the Argentina U-20 and U-23 team. It can be a risky choice considering he has no managerial experience in club football so far and AFA may not permit his departure leaving the national age-group teams. Mascherano's name has emerged but it is highly unlikely considering the scenario and all the possibilities. 

Zinedine Zidane 

Zinedine Zidane has close ties with his former Real Madrid teammate David Beckham, who is the co-owner of Inter Miami as well. Daily Mirror reported back in 2018 that Beckham had held preliminary talks with the French legend to manage the newly established Inter Miami, 

We have seen Messi, Beckham, and Zidane spending time together, so the 3-time UCL winning coach can be a very realistic option to be Miami's next coach. It was also reported in 2021 that Zidane's son, Enzo Zidane was on trial with Inter Miami. 

💥Cette photo légendaire de : Messi. Beckham. Zidane. 🇦🇷 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/gMk82G4RkU

— INTER MIAMI FR (@IntermiamiFR_) February 24, 2024

Zidane has been a free agent since he decided to leave Real Madrid in 2021 after his second stint at the Spanish club. He has previously been linked with the France national football team's head coach job but no progress was made there. 

However, Zidane has managed the 3-times Champions League-winning Real Madrid squad filled with great figures and talents; which proves his immense man-management quality. It will be interesting to see if Zidane comes together with Messi and Beckham again, and this time to produce something great at Miami. 

Jim Curtin 

Jim Curtin may seem like an odd name in the list of some familiar stars of the game but the 45-year-old manager has proved himself as one of the best coaches in MLS' history. 

It was a heavily unexpected move by MLS side Philadelphia Union to part ways with Jim Curtin who was their head coach for 10 long years as he left his position on 7 November 2024. Curtin stayed on the Philadelphia Union's touchline for 11 seasons and won them the MLS Supporters' Shield in the 2019-20 season. 

Ya know who's cool?
This guy.

Just droppin' some Jim Curtin Appreciation on your timeline 🐍 #DOOP pic.twitter.com/1BJS44J1W5

— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 31, 2020

Union has been one of the lowest-spending teams in the MLS but Curtin still managed to have a 42% winning rate after 420 games in charge over 10 years. He was potentially named as the USMNT assistant coach previously in 2023 but now he can be a very realistic option for the Miami job. 

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami has qualified for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup 2025 as a host team after securing an all-time Major League Soccer (MLS) record for most points in a regular season and lifting the MLS Supporters' Shield for the first time in the club's history. 

Inter Miami is the 31st team to be qualified for the expanded edition of the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in 2025 and one final spot is remaining to be occupied by the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2024 champions after the final scheduled to be played on 30th November 2024. 

The MLS outfit was announced to be included in the tournament by FIFA President Gianni Infantino following Miami's 6-2 victory over New England Revolution on 20th October 2024. Infantino announced:

“I have three things to tell you! The first, many congratulations for winning the Supporters Shield! Second, you will be qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025! And third, you will be opening and hosting the opening game at the Hard Rock Stadium in front of 65.000 people!" 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Inter Miami have qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup after winning the Supporters’ Shield.

They will also host the opening game at the Hard Rock Stadium 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/CdnPhz1Tp9

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 20, 2024

The redesigned FIFA Club World Cup for the 2025 edition 

The FIFA Club World Cup will welcome significant expansion for the first time in its history. The tournament will now feature 32 teams, a notable increase from the previous format that hosted only seven teams. The newly structured tournament is scheduled to take place from June 15 to July 13, 2025, and will be held in various stadiums in the United States.

FIFA has distributed 12 spots to European clubs (UEFA), 6 spots to South American teams (CONMEBOL), and 4 spots each to clubs from North America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), Asia (AFC), and Africa (CAF). The last spot is reserved for Oceania (OFC).

The tournament will feature a group stage of eight groups consisting of 4 teams in each group playing a single game in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group will earn qualification for the Round of 16 and after the quarter-finals and semi-finals are over, two teams will meet each other in the final set to be played on 13th July 2025. 

The draw for the group division will take place in December 2024. 

Teams qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025

1. Europe (UEFA) | 12 teams 

🚨🚨| OFFICIAL: The UEFA teams that are set to compete in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. pic.twitter.com/c5ihk05iVs

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) September 6, 2024

Chelsea FC (England): 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Winners

Real Madrid (Spain): 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League Winners

Manchester City FC (England): 2022/23 UEFA Champions League Winners

Bayern Munich (Germany): UEFA Ranking 

Paris Saint-Germain (France): UEFA Ranking 

Inter Milan (Italy): UEFA Ranking 

FC Porto (Portugal): UEFA Ranking 

SL Benfica (Portugal): UEFA Ranking 

Borussia Dortmund (Germany): UEFA Ranking 

Juventus FC (Italy): UEFA Ranking 

Atletico Madrid (Spain): UEFA Ranking

FC Salzburg (Austria): UEFA Ranking 

2. North America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) | 4 teams 

The four teams representing @Concacaf at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025...

🇲🇽 @Rayados
🇺🇸 @SoundersFC
🇲🇽 @clubleonfc
🇲🇽 @Tuzos pic.twitter.com/MmGC6C94yJ

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 2, 2024

Lionel Messi has scored many remarkable goals throughout his career, often defying logic and thrilling fans. However, set-piece goals are particularly special due to the unpredictability of dead-ball situations. Despite these challenges, Messi has produced some of the finest goals from these moments holding the record for the 3rd most goals from setpieces netting 66 goals from free kicks. In this piece, we rank his best free-kick goals.

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Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid- February 26, 2012

In a game where the Catalan club could not assert full control they got gifted a free kick and Messi's lofted a stunning effort into the top corner to give Barcelona a 2-1 win. 

PSG vs Lille- February 19, 2023

This goal is likely to be remembered as one of the greatest ever scored at Parc des Princes. With PSG desperately searching for a winner in a tied match and facing the prospect of going four games without a win, Lionel Messi's late free-kick sparked celebrations among the fans.

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Barcelona vs Liverpool- May 1, 2019

Knockout stage nights in the Champions League always deliver expectations. On this particular night, Lionel Messi delivered one of his finest performances, leading Barcelona to a dominant 3-0 victory and capping it off with a brilliant free-kick goal that left the Camp Nou stunned and earned the goal of the tournament that season.

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 Argentina vs Chile- June 14, 2021

The 2021 Copa America was challenging, with teams growing significantly stronger. It was no surprise that Chile aimed to avoid defeat against Argentina. Messi’s free-kick in the 33rd minute was enough to earn Argentina a draw that day with the game ending at 1-1.

Read Also:Top 10: Most Free-kick Goals In Football History (Updated)

 Inter Miami vs Columbus Crew- October 2, 2024

This goal undoubtedly ranks among the all-time greats, as it helped the Miami-based club secure a trophy and will forever be remembered by the team's supporters.