Bogota Dec 5 (IANS) Group F comprising Germany Mexico Sweden and South Korea has a total of 24 150 755 followers on the social networks making it the qualifying group with the most virtual fans in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup football tournament in Russia.
According to a study released on Monday on www.fansranking.com the 2WaySports index which totals in real time the number of followers on the official Facebook Instagram and Twitter accounts of the national teams Mexico has 14 812 206 virtual fans Germany 8 748 891 Sweden 304 041 and South Korea 285 617 reports Efe news agency.
The report adds that Group E is in second place with 16 387 288 fans of which 15 160 199 follow Brazil 786 467 Costa Rica 248 019 Switzerland and 192 603 Serbia.
The contest for third place between now and the World Cup competition is very tight however and the teams of Group C (11 525 370 followers) Group G (10 774 837) Group B (10 141 277) and Group H (9 148 401) could all increase the number of their virtual fans the US firm said in a statement.
Meanwhile after qualifying for the World Cup the Peruvian national team was the one acquiring the greatest number of new virtual fans (483 538) followed by Argentina (333 745) France (191 825) Brazil (186 849) and Colombia (167 378).
With Peru and Egypt both qualifying for the World Cup after 36 and 28 years respectively there has been an "impressive" positive impact on 2WaySports index in both cases the company added.
Egypt had 158 121 followers before qualifying for next year s World Cup and 286 049 afterwards thus gaining 127 928 virtual fans.
Last Friday the lottery for the World Cup groups was held at the Kremlin.
The World Cup will be played between June 14 and July 15 2018.
--IANS
ajb/bg
