Barcelona dominate September football interest charts before Real Madrid Clasico

Barcelona have opened up a substantial digital lead over Real Madrid ahead of the first Clasico of the 2026/27 season, with the Catalan club attracting 10.6m searches and enquiries worldwide during September.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Real Madrid ranked second with 7.32m, leaving Barcelona comfortably ahead in the battle for global attention before the two sides meet on Sunday, 25 September.

The fixture will take place at Camp Nou in the 10th round of La Liga and is the first meeting between the rivals this season. Barcelona also hold the advantage on the pitch, having made a perfect start to their league campaign.

The figures show the wider appeal of La Liga has also grown. Spain’s top flight was the most visited league in September, recording 39.74m visits. That was more than the English Premier League, which registered 37.66m.

The renewed interest in La Liga has been linked to the profile of its established clubs, including Atletico Madrid, Real Betis, Sevilla and Valencia, as well as the attention surrounding the two traditional Spanish heavyweights.

Raphinha leads worldwide player rankings

Barcelona’s dominance was even clearer in the individual player figures. Raphinha was the most searched footballer in the world during September, recording 4.24m visits.

The Brazil international’s total was almost three times his August figure of 1.42m, reflecting his outstanding start to the campaign.

The second-highest-ranked player was Barcelona team-mate Lamine Yamal, who attracted 3.94m visits. Real Madrid’s first representative was Kylian Mbappe, but he was only fourth with 2.28m.

The numbers give Barcelona the upper hand in the build-up to a match that will bring together two of the most influential and popular clubs in world football. However, the Clasico remains a fixture capable of defying form and expectation.

Barcelona sit top of La Liga with 27 points from nine consecutive victories, giving them a maximum return from their opening matches. Real Madrid are third on 21 points after an inconsistent start, during which they have often relied on late goals to secure points.

That six-point gap means Barcelona will begin the match as league leaders, while Real Madrid will be seeking to narrow the difference at Camp Nou. Yet the significance of the fixture extends beyond the table, with the clubs also competing for worldwide attention.

On the evidence of September’s search figures, league visits and player rankings, Barcelona currently command the spotlight. The decisive test, however, will come when the two sides meet on 25 September.