Euro 2016: The top 20 most searched-for players at Euro 2016 featuring Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and more

Gareth Bale has been causing quite a stir both on and off the pitch

Gareth Bale’s success with Wales at Euro 2016 has not gone unnoticed. After helping secure his side’s victory against Russia on Monday night, it’s been revealed that the Real Madrid star is the most searched-for player of the tournament so far.

In a poll carried out by Microsoft’s Bing, missions of online searches have been analysed since the start of the tournament to find out who and what is making an impact.

Wales’ Bale came out on top in the poll, followed by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo in second and England’s Jamie Vardy in third place.

Kevin Stagg, Bing’s head of consumer marketing, said: “What’s interesting is just how far ahead Gareth Bale is in terms of the most searched-for player, and his girlfriend is no different – they really are the golden couple of the moment ahead of the Vardys and Rooneys.”

The top 20 most searched-for players across the Championships was dominated by British players with Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane coming in at fifth and sixth respectively.

And after shooting to celebrity stardom thanks his song, Will Grigg has earned himself a place at seventh on the list.

David De Gea, on the other hand, has been listed as the fourth most searched-for player of the Championships but for all the wrong reasons.


 De Gea's inclusion in fourth may be altered due the Spanish sex case that implicated him 
 (Getty)

The Manchester United goalkeeper was implicated in a sex scandal at the start of the tournament which subsequently threw the Spaniard into the public spotlight.

The poll has also provided insight into the general habits of football fans, revealing that nearly one in five fans think about the sport at least every hour. This voracious appetite for the beautiful game means that 17% of male fans now regularly hide how much time they spend looking up news.