For 39 days between June and July, World Cup fever took the planet by storm.
The biggest tournament in the world supersized itself as 48 teams descended upon the United States, Mexico and Canada for a festival of football, culminating in Spain’s second World Cup win, 16 years after their first.
Thousands of casual viewers found themselves falling in love with the beautiful game, as the likes of Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane shone on the world’s stage.
But it’s over, so what do you do now?
Well the good thing about a World Cup year is that you don’t have to wait too long for domestic football to return once it’s finished, and Sport Social has you covered when it all kicks off again.
The only problem? Choosing a team.
Unlike American sports, there's no draft to pull for, no hometown franchise for many new fans and no obvious place to start. Picking a club can feel overwhelming.
So don't choose blindly.
We’ve broken down all 20 teams, from their history and identity to their fans and rivalries, and picked out the podcasts that offer the best insight into what life is really like as a supporter.
Because the fastest way to fall in love with a football club isn't by watching 90 minutes on a Saturday.
It's by listening to the fans who've lived every triumph, heartbreak and rivalry for years.
Let’s get into it.
The best Premier League team for a new fan is not necessarily the one that wins the most trophies. It might be the club whose football, history, players, rivalries or supporters make you want to come back next weekend. Here’s how to choose a team, understand the basics of English football and find the podcasts that can help you feel part of it.
You can choose by football style, club history and identity, or the players you enjoyed watching at the World Cup. Rivalries and location matter too, as do fan culture, an underdog story or the thrill of following a club chasing success. US fans may also want to think about match availability and time zones — and whether the club has a podcast or supporter voices you enjoy. There is no wrong answer, although some choices will provide considerably more emotional damage than others.
The Premier League is England’s top division. Twenty clubs play each other home and away across the season, with three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a defeat. The team with the most points at the end of the season wins the title.
The EFL is the English Football League, which runs the divisions below the Premier League. Its second tier is the Championship, followed by League One and League Two.
Relegation means finishing near the bottom of the Premier League and dropping into the Championship for the following season. The bottom three Premier League clubs are relegated and replaced by three promoted Championship clubs.
A derby is a match between clubs with a local or historic rivalry. Some derbies are separated by only a few miles; others are shaped by decades of competition, local identity and supporter culture. Derbies often matter far more to supporters than the league table suggests.
Let’s get into the 20 teams contesting the 2026/27 season.
City: Bournemouth
Home Shirt Colours: Red and Black stripes
Team nickname: The Cherries
Support Bournemouth if: You appreciate a well-run club with a clear philosophy and style, punching above their weight among the big boys of the Premier League. Last summer they sold four of their back five to clubs like Liverpool, PSG, Real Madrid and Arsenal, before losing star player Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City in January. Despite this, under the leadership of Andoni Iraola, they still finished sixth in the league, their highest ever top flight finish. This summer they have appointed respected coach Marco Rose to replace Iraola, who left for Liverpool. Just don’t get used to the Cherries keeping their best players, as it tends not to happen too often.
World Cup stars: Rayan (Brazil), Tyler Adams (USA)
What to expect this season: Bournemouth are a little like Wolverine in terms of their unbelievable ability to regenerate quickly after setbacks. This season, with a new manager in charge and Europa League football for the first time ever, they’ll juggle two games a week and be stretched thin. But if we know anything about Bournemouth, it’s that they adapt quickly and cope with whatever’s thrown at them, so they’ll be OK.
Listen next: Back Of The Net – The AFC Bournemouth Podcast
City: London (North)
Home Shirt Colours: Red with White
Nickname: The Gunners
Manager: Mikel Arteta
Support Arsenal if: You want to follow a potential new superpower in world football. The Gunners won their first Premier League title in 22 years last season and came within a whisker of winning the Champions League. They have a squad packed full of players in their prime and hungry for more success, and they’ll hope to win the league again this season.
World Cup stars: Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, Bruno Guimaraes (Brazil), William Saliba (France), Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka (England)
What to expect this season: More success. Arsenal are the ones to catch right now and with title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City starting life under new managers, it’s no surprise to see them as bookmakers' favourites to retain the title. Manager Mikel Arteta will want to turn this period in the Gunners’ history into something of a dynasty and has a squad that is well equipped to do it.
Listen next: The Dispatch: The Official Arsenal News Update, Footballistically Arsenal, The Arsenal Opinion – By Le Grove, The Fourever Arsenal Podcast, Same Old Arsenal Podcast, The Fresh Arsenal Podcast, The Invincible Podcast, TDK+, The Chronicles of a Gooner, The Different Knock: Live, Highbury Squad, Cannon Stats – The Analytics Podcast, The Gooner Factory, Coup de Canon, AFTV Transfer Daily, Gunners Unfiltered,The Goonerverse
City: Birmingham
Home Shirt Colours: Claret and Blue
Nickname: The Villans/Villa
Manager: Unai Emery
Support Villa if: You identify with a club that’s trying to crack the glass ceiling of the ‘big six’ while being forced to sell their best players to do so.
World Cup stars: Emiliano Martinez (Argentina), Ezri Konsa, (England), Amadou Onana (Belgium)
What to expect this season: With Unai Emery in charge, you can bet that Villa will do well despite being practically forced by PSR (Profit and Sustainability Regulations) to sell star man Morgan Rogers to Chelsea and key midfielder Youri Tielemans to Manchester United. Emery is arguably the best pound-for-pound manager in the league, so will be able to rebuild Villa again to a top six finish you would expect.
Listen next: Villa Podcast: The Official Aston Villa Podcast, For The Love of Paul McGrath: An Aston Villa Podcast, 1874, Total Villans Podcast
City: London (West)
Home Shirt Colours: Red and White Stripes
Nickname: The Bees
Manager: Keith Andrews
Support Brentford if: You respect a team that was written off by everyone last season but went on to finish within a point of qualifying for Europe. The inexperience of manager Keith Andrews wasn’t an issue considering the club is superbly well run and has numerous seriously underrated players doing the business for them.
World Cup stars: Igor Thiago (Brazil), Kristoffer Ajer (Norway)
What to expect this season: Brentford haven’t been too affected by any major losses in the transfer market this summer, which is good news considering they had the second-top scorer in the league last season, Igor Thiago. They’ve added highly-rated midfielder Mamadou Sangare from Lens and still have the playmaking ability of Mikkel Damsgaard, so chances will be created. Not too many of their squad went to the World Cup, giving them the chance to get off to a quick start as many of their rivals ease their best players into things.
Listen next: The Ealing Road Podcast
City: Brighton and Hove
Home Shirt Colours: Blue and White Stripes
Nickname: The Seagulls
Manager: Fabian Hurzeler
Support Brighton if: You respect well-run clubs from top to bottom, who continually have their best players poached (usually by Chelsea), but keep competing in the top half regularly.
World Cup stars: Bart Verbruggen (Netherlands), Yasin Ayari (Sweden), Luka Vuskovic (Croatia), Promise David (Canada)
What to expect this season: A potential European trophy. The Seagulls will compete in the Europa Conference League this year, which has been won by English teams three years out of five. They’re another team that didn’t lose too many players to World Cup duty, but will have to solve an issue with goals, as top scorer Danny Welbeck joined Chelsea in the summer transfer window.
Listen next: The Official Brighton and Hove Albion Podcast, Brighton Rock Podcast, Talk Seagulls
City: London (West)
Home Shirt Colour: Blue
Nickname: The Blues
Manager: Xabi Alonso
Support Chelsea if: You love a team that will spend massive amounts of money on players in the hope of getting back to being one of the best teams in the country.
World Cup stars: Reece James, Morgan Rogers (England), Moises Caicedo (Ecuador), Enzo Fernandez (Argentina), Maxence Lacroix (France)
What to expect this season: New manager Xabi Alonso is the latest man tasked with restoring Chelsea to where they expect to be, and they’ve spent heavily in the transfer market again to do so. Morgan Rogers arrived for a club record £117m, Maxence Lacroix joined from Crystal Palace, while experienced duo Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck will help bring a level of professionalism to a young, exciting squad.
Listen next: That Chelsea Podcast, The Chelsea Podcast, Son of Chelsea, 1905: The Chelsea FC Podcast, London Is Blue, Out Of The Blue
City: Coventry
Home Shirt Colour: Sky Blue
Nickname: The Sky Blues
Manager: Frank Lampard
Support Coventry if: You’re intrigued by a team returning to the top flight for the first time in 28 years, led by an England legend rebuilding his reputation.
World Cup stars: Haji Wright (USA)
What to expect this season: A struggle. Coventry will do very well to stay in the Premier League but if they do, it’ll be the biggest moment of Frank Lampard’s managerial career to date. They’ve been fairly quiet in the transfer market, opting not to spend huge amounts of money. One of those signings is former Brighton goalkeeper Carl Rushworth after a successful loan spell last season and he's sure to be busy, but strikers Ellis Simms and Haji Wright are a handful, and the Sky Blues will be hoping togetherness and siege mentality can keep their heads above water this season.
Listen next: Allthingsskyblue
City: London (South)
Home Shirt Colours: Blue and Red Stripes
Nickname: The Eagles
Manager: Pierre Sage
Support Palace if: You’re intrigued to see how Palace get on after parting ways with the only manager that’s ever won them a trophy in their history.
World Cup stars: Daniel Munoz (Colombia) Chris Richards (USA), Daichi Kamada (Japan), Ismaila Sarr (Senegal)
What to expect this season: Under new manager Pierre Sage, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Eagles. They’ve lost star defender Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea and have to adapt to a new manager’s philosophy, after Oliver Glasner walked away from the club after winning the FA Cup, Community Shield and Europa Conference League in his three years in charge. They do have quality players like Adam Wharton, Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr, while Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jorgen Strand Larsen up front guarantee goals.
Listen next: FYP Podcast, Team Called Palace
City: Liverpool
Home Shirt Colour: Blue
Nickname: The Toffees
Manager: David Moyes
Support Everton if: You like a more “traditional” feel from a club playing in the newest stadium in the league. They play physical football played under the leadership of one of the most experienced Premier League managers of all time, even if trophies are a rarity.
World Cup stars: Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal), Jordan Pickford (England)
What to expect this season: The Toffees are having a fairly quiet summer, with their main goal to keep star man Iliman Ndiaye away from bigger clubs. They’ll need to replace the creativity of Jack Grealish, who enjoyed a spell on Merseyside last season, and they need more goals up front from strikers Beto and Thierno Barry if they’re to have a crack at European qualification.
Listen next: The Unholy Trinity – Everton Podcast, The Toffee TV Everton Podcast, The Paddock Blues – An Everton Podcast, The Blue Room
City: London (West)
Home Shirt Colour: White
Nickname: The Cottagers
Manager: Alvaro Arbeloa
Support Fulham if: You want an authentic Premier League experience without supporting one of the traditional giants. Home to the iconic Craven Cottage on the banks of the River Thames, the Cottagers will begin a new era under former Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa. They're rarely tipped for glory, making every success feel earned, and their passionate fanbase offers a welcoming introduction to English football.
World Cup Stars: Antonee Robinson (USA), Oscar Bobb (Norway)
What to expect this season: A different Fulham. This summer saw the arrival of former Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa to Craven Cottage, along with a pair of Real Madrid youngsters to liven up Fulham’s squad. They were close to European qualification last season but fell away late in the season, so will be hoping fresh impetus can get them into the mix.
Listen next: Fulhamish, Jack Kelly on the Fulham Beat
City: Hull
Home Shirt Colours: Orange and Black Stripes
Nickname: The Tigers
Manager: Sergej Jakirović
Support Hull if: You want to root for an underdog in the relegation battle, whose owner is taking a bold approach to transfer negotiations via his X feed.
World Cup Stars: Liam Millar (Canada)
What to expect this season: It’s going to be a tall order for the Tigers to stay up this season, although the fact that they weren’t expected to be a promotion candidate last year might give them the underdog mentality they need to stay up. Forward Oli McBurnie needs to score goals, winger Mohamed Belloumi will be relied on to create chances, and new goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis will be a busy man.
Listen next: To Hull and Back, Off The Shelf
City: Ipswich
Home Shirt Colour: Blue
Nickname: The Tractor Boys
Manager: Gary O’Neil
Support Ipswich if: You want to see if the Tractor Boys can do better than they did the last time they were promoted, led by a new manager.
World Cup Stars: Issa Diop (Morocco), Daizen Maeda (Japan)
What to expect this season: Another battle against the drop will likely be the narrative of the season for Ipswich, led by new manager Gary O’Neil after long-time servant Kieran McKenna stepped away earlier in the summer. Daizen Maeda will provide work rate and quality and his threat in partnership with Abdul Fatawu might be key to giving them a chance of surviving.
Listen next: Tractor Noise: An Ipswich Town Podcast, Rolling with the Punches
City: Leeds
Home Shirt Colours: White
Nickname: The Whites
Manager: Daniel Farke
Support Leeds if: You identify with a ‘sleeping giant’ of a club, backed by a vociferous home support, building on the back of an impressive 2025/26 season.
World Cup Stars: Tarik Muharemovic (Bosnia), Gabriel Gudmundsson (Sweden), Brendan Aaronson (USA)
What to expect this season: Leeds will be hoping to build on the form they showed at the start of 2026 to finish comfortably away from the drop zone and in the safety of mid-table. Dominic Calvert-Lewin's goals went a long way to ensuring they didn’t go down last season and with the expected addition of James Trafford, they’re adding serious quality between the sticks, which was an issue last year.
Listen next: The Official Leeds Utd Podcast, Leeds, That! – The Ultimate Leeds United Podcast, All Leeds TV, The Leeds View, Talking Leeds, The Leeds United Podcast, One Leeds
City: Liverpool
Home Shirt Colour: Red
Nickname: The Reds
Manager: Andoni Iraola
Support Liverpool if: You want to follow one of England’s most historic clubs as they try and get back to the heights that saw them win the league in 2025
World Cup Stars: Alisson (Brazil), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands), Florian Wirtz (Germany), Alexander Isak (Sweden)
What to expect this season: Under new manager Andoni Iraola, Liverpool will be hoping to challenge for the league title. They won it under Arne Slot two seasons ago, but a huge drop-off after a summer in which they spent £450m wasn’t envisaged. This year will see the beginning of the post-Mo Salah era, with PSG’s Bradley Barcola potentially joining to give the Reds a boost in attack.
Listen next: The Official Liverpool FC Podcast, The Liverpool Groove, Total Liverpool Podcast, Not Just A Matter of Life & Death – Liverpool Podcast, David Lynch – Liverpool FC, The Kopite Podcast, Talkin' Kop, The Anfield Wrap, The Anfield Index Podcast, Back Of The Kop, The Irish Anfield Road Podcast, The Road End Podcast, Anfield Agenda
City: Manchester
Home Shirt Colour: Light blue
Nickname: City/The Cityzens
Manager: Enzo Maresca
Support Man City if: You love your team winning trophies.
World Cup Stars: Josko Gvardiol (Croatia), Erling Haaland (Norway), Jeremy Doku (Belgium), Antoine Semenyo (Ghana), Elliot Anderson (England)
What to expect this season: For the first time in almost a decade, Man City will not be led by Pep Guardiola, which will take some adaptation. New boss Enzo Maresca has worked at the club before, so there is a sense of continuity, and City certainly have the squad to challenge for the title. Erling Haaland will score loads of goals, Rayan Cherki will dazzle in midfield, Jeremy Doku will leave full backs for dust and new signing Elliot Anderson will shore up midfield, even if Ballon d’Or winner Rodri departs.
Listen next: The Official Man City Podcast, Blue Moon Podcast – A Manchester City Show, The Man City Show, The City Social – Esteemed Kompany
City: Manchester
Home Shirt Colour: Red
Nickname: The Red Devils
Manager: Michael Carrick
Support Man United if: You’re convinced that a former player under Sir Alex Ferguson can be the man to return the glory days to Old Trafford.
World Cup Stars: Lisandro Martinez (Argentina), Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Matheus Cunha (Brazil)
What to expect this season: United seem to have some sort of stability since appointing Michael Carrick as permanent boss, giving them hope for the upcoming season. They’ve signed smartly this summer too, with Youri Tielemans coming in from Aston Villa to replace Casemiro, and Andrey Santos from Chelsea also. They’ll need that depth as they embark on a Champions League campaign for the first time in three years.
Listen next: Inside Carrington: The Official Manchester United Podcast, Manchester United Podcast by Stretford Paddock, United Hour – A Manchester United Podcast, The Promised Land – A Manchester United Podcast, No Question About That – A Manchester United Podcast, The Manchester United Redcast, Manchester United Weekly Podcast, Life With Brian: The Brian McClair Podcast, Devils in the Details, Football Ruined My Life, Mr Stephen Howson, Kas Central, Dis Sport Pod, The Mancunian Way, All For United WFC, What The Devil? Podcast, The Trinity Podcast, Weekly Armchair Kickoff, United! United! United!, United We Stand, The United Foundry
City: Newcastle
Home Shirt Colours: Black and White Stripes
Nickname: The Magpies
Manager: Matthias Jaissle
Support Newcastle if: You want to see how a team who has sold all its best players does with a new manager.
World Cup stars: Dan Burn (England), Lukas Hornicek (Czechia), Bazoumana Toure (Ivory Coast)
What to expect this season: It’s hard to describe how challenging a summer Newcastle United have had. Their three best players from recent years; Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and club captain Bruno Guimaraes have all left, which forced Eddie Howe to step down as manager after five years, two Champions League qualifications and a first trophy win in almost 70 years. New boss Matthias Jaissle is highly rated but has a job on his hands, as Newcastle’s signings to replace their outgoing players are all young, inexperienced talents.
Listen next: Newcastle Natter – The NUFC Podcast, Tyne Warp: VAVEL UK's Newcastle United Podcast, The GallowgateShots Podcast, True Faith NUFC Podcast, Loaded Mag NUFC, NUFC Matters
City: Nottingham
Home Shirt Colour: Red
Nickname: The Reds/The Tricky Trees
Manager: Oliver Glasner
Support Forest if: You think you’ll love the extroverted ways of owner Evangelos Marinakis and his ever-revolving door of managers.
World Cup Stars: Dan Ndoye (Switzerland), Chris Wood (New Zealand), Xaver Schlager (Austria)
What to expect this season: Nottingham Forest have yet another manager ready to have a crack at pleasing extroverted owner Marinakis, namely Oliver Glasner, who left the safety of Crystal Palace for a crack at Forest. They’ve lost star man Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for a Premier League record fee, but should have enough for Glasner to work with to better last season’s 16th-place finish.
Listen next: On and Off The Pitch: The Official Nottingham Forest Podcast, 1865: The Nottingham Forest Podcast, Forest Fan TV – A Nottingham Forest Podcast, Talking Reds: A Nottingham Forest Podcast, Forest Focus, Tricky Talks, Forest All Over, Mist Rolling In
City: Sunderland
Home Shirt Colours: Red and White Stripes
Nickname: The Black Cats
Manager: Regis Le Bris
Support Sunderland if: You want to see how a team follows up a fairytale season when combined with European football.
World Cup stars: Brian Brobbey (Netherlands), Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), Habib Diarra (Senegal), Noah Sadiki (Ghana), Granit Xhaka (Switzerland)
What to expect this season: Sunderland have to work out how to compete in the Europa League as well as fight ‘second season syndrome’ on the domestic front. Star players Enzo Le Fee and Brian Brobbey will be entrusted to deliver the goals at the top end of the pitch, while goalkeeper Robin Roefs had a great season last year as the Black Cats finished 7th
Listen next: Sensible Sunderland, Haway The Podcast
City: London (North)
Home Shirt Colour: White
Nickname: Spurs
Manager: Roberto De Zerbi
Support Spurs if: You’re curious to see if spending £300m is enough to reverse the fortunes of a club who has finished 17th in the league two years in a row.
World Cup Stars: Pedro Porro (Spain), Jan Paul van Hecke (Netherlands), Cristian Romero (Argentina)
What to expect this season: Spurs have reacted to finishing 17th place twice in a row by throwing an obscene amount of money at the squad, led by fiery Italian manager Roberto De Zerbi. Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes cost almost £200m between them and will be entrusted with protecting the new centre-back partnership of Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, who have also arrived this summer. Spurs are also chasing Cody Gakpo from Liverpool and show no signs of curtailing their spending as they look to get back to the top six.
Listen next: The Cheese Room Podcast, The Fighting Cock, The Lab, Only Tottenham, Rule The Roost, Doctor Tottenham, Tottenham Fan Voice Podcast, The Spurs Show, OhSoSpurs Podcast, The Extra Inch, Hometown Glory, The Whistle Blows, Paxton Road TV, Inside Spurs: Extra Time
Don’t feel the need to rush into a decision before the season starts. At the end of the day, no one likes a ‘fan’ that flip-flops between teams. It’s worth watching the first few weekends of games, listening to podcasts around teams that catch your eye and making the decision when you feel comfortable pledging your allegiance to your new club.
Sport Social has over 400 soccer-focused podcasts, from official Premier League clubs’ pods to ‘fancasts’ featuring passionate fans covering their favourite teams. There’s also titles that cover the whole league like Football Social Daily, featuring the headlines from all 20 clubs so you never miss out on the latest news.
Sport Social brings together official club podcasts, supporter-led fancasts and wider football shows. Once you have chosen a team, these shows help you understand the jokes, rivalries, rituals and weekly drama that make following a club addictive.
Absolutely, the Premier League is a worldwide league. In the USA, there’s fan clubs of almost every team in most states, so it should be easy enough to find fellow fans. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll visit England to see your new team in the flesh!
Absolutely not. Clubs are usually bestowed upon children who don’t have a choice, so if you do, stick with it. Part of the beauty of football is the ups and downs of the game, so strap yourself onto the rollercoaster and try and enjoy it!
The traditional “Big Six” probably have the biggest fanbases. Manchester United and Liverpool are the most well-supported in the league, followed by Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. The likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Leeds all have huge followings despite not being quite as successful, so picking a team depends on what you like best.
The Premier League and MLS are both top-flight soccer leagues, but they're built differently. The Premier League is England's highest division, featuring promotion and relegation, historic clubs dating back more than a century and qualification for European competitions like the UEFA Champions League. MLS operates as a closed league with no promotion or relegation, uses salary caps and playoffs to determine its champion, and was founded in 1996. While MLS continues to grow rapidly, the Premier League is widely regarded as the most competitive and globally followed domestic soccer league in the world.
In the US, Premier League matches are distributed across the current television and streaming partners. The exact channel or service depends on the fixture, so check the official Premier League schedule and broadcaster listings before matchday. Kickoff times can also change because of television selections, European competition and fixture rescheduling.
Most weekend matches are played in the morning or early afternoon in the US, although the exact time varies by fixture and time zone. Check the schedule in Eastern, Central, Mountain or Pacific Time before planning your viewing.
Ready to get started? Get stuck in and let us know on social media why you picked your new team!
Updated: 19th August 2026