This report presents findings from the GeoPoll Africa Football Survey 2026, a five-country study conducted in May 2026. The survey explored the depth and nature of football fandom across Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, and South Africa, covering media consumption habits, league and club preferences, tournament predictions, fantasy football participation, live match attendance, and sports betting behaviour.
Fieldwork was conducted at the peak of the 2025–26 European football calendar, during the closing weeks of the English Premier League and La Liga seasons, and in the lead-up to the UEFA Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal on 30 May 2026 in Budapest. This timing ensured that respondent engagement with the sport was at its highest, producing rich and timely data on fan sentiment and preferences.
The findings offer brands, broadcasters, rights holders, and sponsors a data-driven view of how football is consumed across five of Africa’s most important markets, and where the key differences and opportunities lie.
Key Findings
Football is the clear #1 sport across all five markets, with 91–96% followership rates, reinforcing its dominance in African sports culture.
Television remains the leading platform for football news and live viewing, though social media is rapidly growing and already leads in Ghana.
The English Premier League is the most preferred league in four markets, while La Liga leads in Mozambique.
Barcelona is the favorite to win La Liga across all surveyed markets, with support ranging from 70–86%.
South Africa is the only market predicting Arsenal to win the UCL final, while all other countries favor PSG.
Kenya is the most commercially engaged football market, leading in match viewing, fantasy football participation, and betting activity.
Ghana has the lowest stadium attendance (43%) but the highest desire to attend matches in the future (53%).
Mozambique shows the widest gender gap in betting, with 71% of men actively betting compared to 27% of women.
Football as the Dominant Sport
Across all five countries surveyed, football stands out as the undisputed dominant sport. Between 91% and 96% of respondents actively follow the game, with Kenya and Nigeria recording the highest engagement levels at 96%. Ghana and South Africa follow closely at 91%, underscoring football’s near-universal appeal across the region. These findings confirm that football is far more than just a sport in these markets, it is a central part of everyday culture, resonating across different ages, education levels, and locations.
Methodology/About this Survey
This exclusive survey was powered by GeoPoll’s AI platform; Tuucho run via the GeoPoll mobile application and WhatsApp in Kenya between between 11 and 15 May 2026 the sample size was 2,452, composed of random users between 18 and 50. Since the survey was randomly distributed to an and the results are slightly skewed towards younger respondents. All questions were self-administered via mobile survey in English.
The GeoPoll Africa Football Survey 2026 examines football consumption across five African markets, highlighting its overwhelming dominance as the continent’s leading sport with 91–96% followership and exceptionally high national team loyalty above 89% in all countries. While football engagement is near-universal, the study reveals distinct national differences in how fans consume and interact with the game across media, live attendance, fantasy sports, and betting. Kenya emerges as the most commercially engaged market, Ghana shows strong interest but lower stadium attendance, Mozambique reflects a more distinct Lusophone and La Liga-influenced profile, South Africa demonstrates strong Premier League and pay-TV-driven consumption, and Nigeria combines high engagement with strong free-to-air television reliance. Overall, the findings show a highly unified football culture in passion, but a fragmented landscape in consumption behaviour and commercial engagement opportunities.
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