New data reveals Wales’ most searched foreign football team is…England

New data has revealed that Wales’ most searched foreign football team is actually their closest neighbours: England.

Research from JD analysing Google data shows that the Welsh search for The Three Lions nearly 10,000 times a month!

This is almost ten times that of the next most searched foreign team, current world champions France, who are Googled 1,000 times each month in Wales.

Rounding off the top three are Germany, a team searched 590 times a month by those in Wales.

Of all teams at the World Cup this year, France was comfortably the outfit that was searched most in nations present at Qatar, appearing top of the list in nine countries, including arch-rivals England, Croatia – who le Blues defeated in the 2018 final – and the Netherlands.

The French were also most popular in all five African countries at the competition: Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia, and Senegal.

Best of the rest was Argentina, with search terms around the South American side most popular in six nations, including Mexico, Spain, and Uruguay. Most interestingly, Brazilians appear to enjoy keeping a tab on their neighbours, as La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) was the most Googled foreign team in Brazil, with an average of 74,000 searches a month!

It’s a more evenly-distributed story across Europe, as three nations tie for the top searched in this continent. France, England, and Portugal are all looked up online the most in three European countries each.

Euro 2016 winners Portugal are popular in Germany, Belgium and Switzerland.

The Portuguese’s popularity may be the result of their standout squad, featuring the likes of Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, alongside Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

In North America, the Three Lions receive 6,600 searches a month in Canada, making Gareth Southgate’s men the most popular team in that country. 

As for the United States, it’s their close rivals Mexico who are Googled most, with Americans searching 74,000 times each month. 

Finally, Mexicans like to keep tabs on the Argentina team more than any other, perhaps not too surprising considering they share a language.

Argentina has come out on top in South America and can claim to be a more popular team than their fierce foes Brazil. 

Lionel Messi’s team receive more Google lookups each month in Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay, with Brazilians alone searching 74,000 times. 

Ironically, Brazil themselves are the top team in Argentina, receiving 27,100 searches.

Over in Africa, Google data reveals 100% of African countries at the World Cup search most for the France international team. This list includes Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.

Brazil is the most popular team in Japan, a possible link here could be that the last time Brazil lifted the trophy was back in 2002, when the tournament was held in Japan and South Korea.

In addition, for South Koreans, it is France who they’re keen to find out about. 

Furthermore, down under, Aussies are searching out for the old enemy, England, with over 12,000 Googles each month.

Surprisingly, Portugal are the most searched side across the Middle Eastern countries at this tournament.

With no true data on Iran, we know that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have Googled FC Portugal just under 7,500 times per month.

An icon of football and social media, Ronaldo is most likely the key factor in Portugal’s popularity.