Social media is an important tool for footballers, in this article we take a look at the top 5 most followed footballers on Instagram.
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Social media is becoming an important tool for footballers, and gives players a large platform to communicate with their fans across the world. Some use their platform to do good deeds, such as Marcus Rashford and his Twitter campaign to end child hunger, whilst others may use it in a more controversial way, such as Joleon Lescott “pocket tweeting” a picture of a new car just hours after his side lost 6-0. Footballers are increasingly addicted to Instagram, and the top players in the world have built up followings bigger than the clubs they play for.
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Yet another record for Ronaldo, the Manchester United star has an astonishing 401million followers, which is more than anyone else in the world, football or otherwise.
Cristiano Ronaldo hit 400M followers on Instagram over the weekend – he’s gained 123M followers in the last 10 months and is the most followed person on the platform. pic.twitter.com/7B41fEPOw0
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) February 7, 2022
There was serious hype when he made his unexpected return to Old Trafford in the summer, but United’s season hasn’t exactly gone to plan, despite Ronaldo chipping in with 14 goals.
Arguably the greatest player of all time, the seven-time Ballon D’or winner Lionel Messi has 307million followers. That’s higher than the population of most countries.
Messi has had a difficult first season away from Barcelona after his shock transfer to PSG in the summer of 2021, but he is still finding his form as he prepares to face the old enemy, Real Madrid, in the Champions League last 16.
One of the best players of his generation, and the most expensive footballer of all time, Neymar has become a household name all over the world since his emergence as a teenager at Santos FC.
With a whopping 170 million followers, the Brazil superstar is enjoying life at PSG, but has been plagued by injuries for the last few seasons.
England will likely never have a ‘celebrity’ footballer with the aura of David Beckham again. A title winner at some of the biggest clubs in the world, Beckham is still one of the biggest names in sport nearly nine years on from his retirement at PSG, and has 71.1million followers.
One of the best teenagers ever, Mbappe has developed into one of the best players in the world at just the age of 23, since his breakout at AS Monaco in 2017.
Moving to PSG for over £120million, it is rumoured that Mbappe, who has 66million followers, will join Real Madrid upon expiry of his contract in Paris in the summer.
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