Soccer has changed a lot over the years. Fans are not content with just watching their favorite players on the pitch. They also know what they are up to in their personal lives. Photo and video-sharing social networking platform, Instagram, has capitalized on said curiosity and allowed fans to have a closer look at their stars.
Almost every soccer player has an Instagram account these days, as it not only allows them to keep in touch with fans but also rake in millions of dollars in revenue.
Today, we will take a look at some soccer players who are acing the Instagram game. Today, we will check out the 10 soccer stars with the highest number of followers on the popular social networking platform.
#10 Paulo Dybala – 57.3 million
With 57.3 million followers, AS Roma star Paulo Dybala is the second-most followed Argentine soccer player on Instagram, behind the great Lionel Messi.
Dybala, 29, has proven himself to be a serial winner. He won five Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia trophies during his seven-season run with Juventus between 2015 and 2022. He also has a FIFA World Cup to his name, with him appearing twice for Argentina during their victorious run in Qatar last year.
#9 Sergio Ramos – 60.1 million
Former Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos is the ninth name on the list, courtesy of his sizable 60.1 million followers on Instagram.
Following 16 memorable seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, during which he played 671 games and won 22 trophies, Ramos joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021. He parted ways with the Parisians after his contract expired earlier this summer and has since been on the lookout for his next project. The 2010 FIFA World Cup winner has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia and Major League Soccer but he remains determined to stay in Europe.
#8 Paul Pogba – 60.1 million
Paul Pogba’s on-field woes have not had an impact on his following on Instagram, with the French superstar still going strong with 60.1 million followers.
Once considered to be one of the best in the business, Pogba played precious little (10 games) over the 2022-23 season, with niggling injuries severely impacting his game time. The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is slowly regaining fitness and will be eager to help Juventus fight for the Serie A title this term.
#7 Mohamed Salah – 61.8 million
Liverpool’s undisputed talisman, Mohamed Salah, enjoys a lot of fanfare on Instagram, with the Egypt international boasting a whopping 61.8 million followers on the platform. The forward is currently the most-followed soccer player in the English Premier League.
Salah has been a man on a mission since joining Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017. He has scored 186 times in 306 games for the Reds, helping them to Premier League (2019) and Champions League (2020) glory.
#6 Marcelo – 65 million
One of the most accomplished fullbacks to ever play the sport, Marcelo has 65 million followers on the popular social networking platform, Instagram.
The Brazilian left-back has returned to his boyhood club Fluminense after spells with Real Madrid and Olympiacos. While he could not quite settle in at Olympiacos, he did enough at Real Madrid to go down in history as one of the best-ever players. Between January 2007 and September 2022, he played 546 matches for Los Blancos, scoring 38 times and providing 103 assists. His talents helped the club to six La Liga titles and five Champions League trophies in 15 years.
#5 Karim Benzema – 73.6 million
Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema is the fifth name on the list, courtesy of his 73.6 followers on Instagram.
The Real Madrid legend moved to Al-Ittihad earlier this summer following 14 trophy-laden seasons in the Spanish capital. During his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, he helped the All-Whites to five Champions League trophies and four La Liga titles, amongst other honors. He has enjoyed a fine start to life at Al-Ittihad as well, scoring thrice and providing two assists in five matches.
#4 Kylian Mbappe – 107 million
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has 107 million followers on Instagram, making him the fourth-most followed soccer player on the platform.
Only 24 years old, Mbappe has already won some of the most prestigious trophies in football. In 2018, he emerged as one of France’s best players as they won the FIFA World Cup. He put in a shift in the 2022 FIFA World Cup as well, scoring eight goals in seven games, including a hat-trick in the final.
#3 Neymar – 211 million
In third place, we have Brazilian superstar Neymar, who has an impressive 211 million followers on Instagram. The 31-year-old, who recently joined Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain, took to Instagram to express sadness over Brazil’s quarter-final elimination to Croatia in December 2022. The post has so far drawn over 23.2 million likes, making it his most-liked Instagram post.
Neymar is widely hailed as one of the best soccer players of this generation. Between Barcelona and PSG, the Brazil icon won one Champions League trophy and seven league titles. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the upcoming chapter of his career in Saudi Arabia.
#2 Lionel Messi – 483 million
Having amassed 483 million followers, Argentina icon and Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi is the second-most popular soccer player/individual on Instagram. Only two accounts have multiple representatives on the list of the 20 most-liked posts on Instagram; Messi, astonishingly, has seven. Messi is also the owner of the most-liked post in Instagram history. The photo of him and his compatriots lifting the 2022 FIFA World Cup holds the record with a staggering 75.7 million likes.
Messi, 36, is the most decorated soccer player of this era. Not only has he won every possible individual honor, including seven Ballon d’Or awards, but he has also completed his collective trophy cabinet. The Inter Miami star has won the World Cup and Copa America with Argentina; four Champions League trophies and 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona; and two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo – 600 million
Sitting comfortably at the top of the charts with 600 million followers, Cristiano Ronaldo is not only the most famous soccer personality but also the most-followed individual on Instagram. Just like his arch-rival Lionel Messi, Ronaldo also has seven positions on the list of the top 20 most-liked posts on Instagram. His photo with Messi playing chess, advertising for Louis Vuitton, is his most-liked Instagram post, with it garnering a whopping 42.4 million likes.
Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has won more than his fair share of accolades in his career. Over the last two decades, he has amassed five Champions League trophies, one European Championship, and seven league titles, amongst other honors. Currently serving as Al-Nassr’s captain, he is determined to win silverware in Saudi Arabian football as well.
