The Different Worlds of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund

Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, finalists of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League, are in completely different dimensions in the football world. Real Madrid, the team with the most Champions League titles and the most titles in Spain, contrasts sharply with Borussia Dortmund, which has faced a shortage of recent trophies.

Borussia Dortmund fans still remember last season’s drama. They were on the verge of winning the Bundesliga but ended up drawing 2-2 with Mainz 05 at home, allowing their main rival, Bayern Munich, to snatch the title, which they had not won since the 2011-2012 season.

The differences between these two clubs go beyond just winning trophies. Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund also show significant differences in their financial evaluations and digital reach. We analyzed this by looking at data from Samba Digital’s Data Department and Forbes’ recent study on global football clubs.

Real Madrid is the world’s most valuable club, valued at USD 66 billion by Forbes. In contrast, Borussia Dortmund is in 12th place with a valuation of around USD 198 billion. Real Madrid’s revenues are about USD 873 million, almost double that of Borussia Dortmund’s USD 441 million.

Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund 2023-24 UEFA Champions League Final Analysis

Real Madrid’s Digital Dominance

Real Madrid gained 69 Instagram followers per minute since the semifinal day. The German team’s revenue lag is at 507%, but digitally, this gap is even wider. From May 8, when the world learned of the Champions League finalists, Real Madrid gained about 100,000 followers per day, while Borussia Dortmund gained 389,000.

The data presented corresponds to the period between May 8 and 22. Real Madrid’s Instagram account gained almost 100,000 followers per day, equivalent to 69 per minute or 1.16 per second, totaling approximately 1.5 million new followers. No other rival comes close to this mark.

If Real Madrid was the club that gained the most new followers on Instagram, Borussia Dortmund came in third. Among the top clubs, we find an outlier: Manchester City, which secured an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title on May 19th. Altogether, the blue side of Manchester accumulated over half a million new followers during the same period: 536,000 to be exact.

To give readers a better understanding, we analyzed the official Instagram profiles of both teams. The analysis period is three days for each match, considering the day before, the match day, and the day after.

Social Media as a Performance Indicator

For those following the games, Real Madrid struggled in the Round of 16 against Red Bull Leipzig, a compatriot of Borussia Dortmund. This poor performance on the field was reflected on Instagram, where the club’s digital performance was noticeably lower during the return leg.

The calm ended there. In the quarterfinals, Real Madrid faced two epic matches against Manchester City, decided by penalties. Then came another significant battle against Bayern Munich, with an impressive comeback led by Joselu, who scored the two goals that turned the game around.

These thrilling matches impacted the club’s digital performance, which regularly ranks high in social media performance analyses. The graph below shows the performance per match, with noticeable peaks in the mentioned games against City and Bayern. Real Madrid’s digital presence soared during these crucial games.

Measuring performance is a key pillar at Samba Digital, helping us find the most effective ways for the audience to connect with a club or brand.

For more economical details, check the Forbes article.

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