Football is more than just a sport in Southeast Asia—it's a powerful force that unites millions of fans across the region. Social media has become an essential tool for football federations to connect with their supporters, sharing team updates, match highlights, and behind-the-scenes content.
In this digital arena, Indonesia leads the way with an exceptionally large and engaged fan base, with the official accounts of the Football Association of Indonesia (@PSSI) and the Indonesian national team (@timnasindonesia) boasting an exceptionally high number of followers compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
Data collected from Instagram in February 2025 shows that the combined followers of PSSI and the official Indonesian national team account total 13.5 million. This figure makes Indonesia the undisputed leader in football-related social media engagement in the region.
The popularity of football in the country is reflected in the enthusiasm of fans who actively follow the national team's progress and various domestic and international competitions involving Indonesia.
A Significant Gap in Southeast Asia
For comparison, Thailand, which ranks second on this list, has only around 1.1 million followers across the official social media accounts of its football federation and national team.
Indonesia's dominance on social media becomes even more striking when compared to other Southeast Asian countries. Some nations, such as the Philippines, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos, and Timor-Leste, have fewer than 100,000 followers in total.
This difference in follower numbers can be attributed to several factors. On one hand, football is not the primary sport in some of these countries. For instance, basketball is far more popular in the Philippines.
On the other hand, social media platform preferences also play a role. According to NapoleonCat, over 86% of Filipinos use Facebook as their primary platform, while in Brunei, the figure reaches 97%, and in Laos, more than 60%. In Timor-Leste, approximately 84% of the population prefers Facebook, according to StatCounter Global Stats.
Vietnam: A Unique Exception
One interesting finding is the absence of an official Instagram account for the Vietnam Football Federation, despite the country having a large football fan base—especially following the national team's growing achievements.
This can be explained by the fact that most Vietnamese people still prefer Facebook. According to Statista, around 90% of Vietnam’s population actively uses the platform, making it reasonable for their football federation to prioritize a presence on Facebook over Instagram.
