Neymar Jr. is the second most popular athlete in China

The Mailman Group’s “Red Card 2022” study assesses the online presence of clubs and athletes on the leading social media platforms in the Asian country

For the fourth consecutive year, Neymar Jr. ranks in the top 3 as the second most popular player in China. The analysis released on Thursday (17) was conducted by the Chinese consulting firm “Mailman Group,” which specializes in the digital marketing market. The report, titled “Red Card 2022,” assesses the online influence of soccer clubs and players in China.

The study takes into account metrics from China's leading social media platforms, such as the number of international followers and engagement. This data is used to generate scores that determine a ranking for clubs, leagues, and active players in European soccer, based on their digital performance in China.

Paris Saint-Germain is also in the spotlight. The club moved up three spots in the overall ranking, rising from seventh to fourth place. One of the points highlighted in the study is that Paris was the second-most-engaged club on one of the platforms analyzed, gaining 861,000 new followers—the third-fastest growth ever recorded.

The French League also remains among the most popular in China. Currently, Ligue 1 ranks fourth. The overall ranking includes the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), the Bundesliga (Germany), Ligue 1 (France), and Serie A (Italy).

The information in the report was collected between January 1 and November 30, 2021. Check out the full report!