Manchester United have long been the most popular team in the world, with fans ranging from the states adjacent to Old Trafford to the depths of China and Africa. But what exactly is it that makes so many foreigners support the club?

There is a longstanding debate that most Manchester United fans are not from Manchester, many are from London and most are not even from England. And it’s true, the club has a huge following nationally and even more internationally.

Many are genuine fans, who watch every game, care about every stat, and judge every player. But there are more who are simply called ‘glory partisans’. Individuals who have chosen to support Manchester United simply to be safe in the knowledge that sooner or later they will achieve victory.

The phenomenon is something of a snowball effect, the club has long been on a winning streak and has become a team worth watching, as a result, television networks are eager to broadcast the games and win spectators.

These spectators get used to waiting for the club to win, they enjoy it and become ‘fans’. They know that the next time they tune in to watch the team play, they can look forward to a win, if not a good game.

Companies realize this and are willing to sponsor the broadcast of the game in their country, therefore more and more people can watch them. Pretty soon these fans have families and the kids are brought up as fans of the club, just like any kid in Manchester.

In short, people like to feel good, supporting a team that almost always wins is a sure way to celebrate and enjoy the game. In the absence of a decent local team or league to follow that is broadcast, it’s only natural that people would choose to follow Manchester United.