Manchester United defends top spot as No. 1 club online in China

Manchester United has retained the top spot as the most popular club online in China for the second year running in the Red Card 2018 China Digital Football Awards.

The Manchester United squad poses during the annual team photocall on October 13, 2017 in Manchester, England. [File Photo: VCG]

The Red Card 2018 awards, run by the Mailman Group, look at the online performance of European football clubs in China.

"With over 107 million followers, China is one of Manchester United's most important markets and we have a long history of innovation and fan engagement in the region. We are honored to receive the Red Card award for the second consecutive year and we are excited about the ongoing opportunities to innovate and build our brand, allowing our fans in China to interact with the club and our products," said Phil Lynch, the CEO of Media for Manchester United.

Manchester United was followed in the club rankings by Real Madrid, FC Bayern, Asernal, and Liverpool.

In addition to providing ratings for club performance, the Red Card Awards rank the online performance of individual players. Lionel Messi took the top spot as the No. 1 player online in China, followed closely by Cristiano Ronaldo, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, and Wayne Rooney.

Bundesliga ranked first in the league rankings, followed by Premier League, La Liga, and Liguel.

The Red Card report has been published annually since 2012. This year there are five new awards that recognize prominent performance in new fields. The Best Live Stream award went to Borussia Dortmund, the Best Use of Technology to FC Bayern, Best Sponsor Activation to Asenal, Best Online Campain to Bundesliga, and Best Tour Campaign to FC Bayern.