Money money money money money. Makes the word go round, ya know. Maybe it doesn't do good, but that doesn't stop it being important.
Popularity may not matter to us (although be honest, it does. To me, you and everyone else. If it didn't, you would have had a moment of MEGO over the list and not bothered to address it. We all want our most loved to be the most loved, no matter how much we try to pretend otherwise). But popularity certainly matters a whole lot to the skaters, their teams, their families, especially in a sport where the time for earning money for the future is short and few people are going to get much chance in that time. And having skaters who bring fans, loyal or casual, matters a WHOLE lot for the sport worldwide (which Evgenia and Alina, and probably now Trusova, have a good chance of doing). I very much doubt that whether one Russian girl has more fans (including casual) than the other matters a hell of a lot per se, what does matter is that they are both loved. Good for the sport, good for the businesses and sponsors that they all want/need and who will go for the skaters who are good and popular and saleable, good for a comfortable, worthy post-skating future.
Thing is, Wikipedia is not anywhere near an accurate indication of popularity (and doesn't even begin to take into account a lot of the Chinese/Asian market) but then what is? Youtube? Twitter/Instagram? Some (very few, it's not a viable choice for most, which well and truly indicates how important being popular, followed and liked is to sports stars these days) don't even have that, and it's very hard to count up mentions... Actual endorsement figures? Given that the sponsors' pr people probably watch these people's ups and downs for a living.
I repeat... they are both loved. That's what that list shows, most importantly. Can't people be glad for them both?
