Football is more popular than other sports and is regarded as the most thrilling and entertaining sort of sport around the world. Football is the best sport in the world because it is the most entertaining. And there are several most followed footballers on Instagram, demonstrating the game’s appeal.
It’s no surprise that Instagram and football have become powerful pairings. This site has given fans access to several footballers’ daily stories, updates, scenes, backstage goals, and lives. From family gatherings to new haircuts and attire, any fan can observe their celebrity’s insights.
We examined the ten most followed players on Instagram, who rose to prominence due to their extraordinary abilities.
Footballers With The Most Instagram Followers | 2022 Popularity Ranking
Footballers are not only the most important athletes right now, but they are also the highest-paid athletes. Furthermore, they are extremely popular across all social media platforms. However, their popularity on Instagram remained unrivaled. Without further ado, let us expose the celebrity!
10. Gareth Bale – 43 Million Followers
Gareth Frank Bale, a Welsh footballer, was born on July 16, 1989. He is a Real Madrid and Wales national team player. As a left-back at Southampton, Bale was known for his free-kick skill. Furthermore, he is largely recognized as one of the top wingers in the game right now. Bale signed a seven-million-pound contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 2007 to preserve his spot in the team.
Tottenham’s managerial and tactical changes influenced his playing style. Bale received international recognition during the 2009–10 season while under Harry Redknapp’s management, following their performance in the UEFA Champions League in 2010–11.
Bale has 43 million followers and is one of the most followed footballers on Instagram. His honors include being named PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2011 and 2013, as well as being included to the 2013 UEFA Team of the Year.
He also won three trophies in 2013: Premier League Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, and PFA Young Player of the Year. From 2011 to 2013, he was a PFA Team of the Year nominee three years in a row.
9. Sergio Ramos – 50.3 Million Followers
Sergio Ramos Garcia was born on March 30, 1986, in Spain and played for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain as well as the Spanish national team. He was a center-back with Real Madrid for 16 years, serving as captain for six of those years. He is still the costliest defender in football history, despite his recent transfer to PSG.
He has previously played as a right-back in his career. The World Cup winner is one of the most followed footballers on Instagram, with over 50 million followers and around 2066 posts. After two seasons with the senior squad, Ramos transferred from Sevilla’s youth academy to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005.
He became one of La Liga’s greatest goal scorers from a defensive position, winning 22 major trophies with Real Madrid in addition to five La Liga crowns and four UEFA Champions League titles. The UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season award to Ramos in each of his four UEFA Champions League seasons was a key element of the build-up to each championship.
He also scored the equalizer 93 minutes into the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final. The defender has also been voted La Liga’s Best Defender five times and was chosen to the La Liga Team of the Season in 2016.
8. Paul Pogba – 53.8 Million Followers
Paul Labile Pogba, a French footballer, was born on March 15, 1993, in Lyon, France, and currently plays for France’s national team. He can play as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, and deep-lying playmaker in addition to central midfield. Many football commentators consider him to be one of the best midfielders in the game right now.
Pogba joined Le Havre’s development academy in 2007, and two years later, he joined Manchester United for an unknown price. Pogba has 52 million followers on social media and is one of the most followed footballers on Instagram.
He joined Juventus in 2012 after making a few outings for Manchester United. During his time with the club, he also won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, as well as four consecutive Serie A titles. Pogba got the Bravo award in 2014, following the Gold Boy honor in 2013.
The bright young athlete has now established himself as one of the top players in the world. Pogba was named UEFA Team of the Year and FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2015 as a football player of the year. Juventus won the 2015 UEFA Champions League after reaching their first Champions League Final in 12 years.
7. James Rodríguez – 46 Million Followers
James Rodriguez is a Colombian footballer who plays as an attacking winger for both the Colombian national team and Real Madrid in Spain. He is a skilled footballer recognized for his playmaking ability and goal-scoring techniques. James began playing professional football with the assistance of his father.
He evolved into a talented player after beginning football training at the age of 15. Aside from that, James has 46 million Instagram followers and is one of the most followed footballers. He is also one of the most attractive footballers to keep an eye on!
He made his professional debut at the age of 15 for the team Envigado. After a good career in Argentina, he made his debut with the Argentine team Banfield in 2009.
He dazzled not just teammates, coaches, and opponents with his performances. Despite his team’s defeat in the quarterfinals, he shone for his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, winning the Golden Boot.
6. Marcelo – 53.8 Million Followers
Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior, a former Real Madrid player, represents both Brazil and the Spanish club Real Madrid. It is impossible to deny his standing as one of the world’s best-attacking left-backs and one of the greatest football defenders. Marcelo wears the number 12 for Los Blancos and stands 5 feet 9 inches tall.
He was named to the La Liga Team of the Season, UEFA’s Team of the Year twice, and the FIFPro World XI four times in 2016. Marcelo also got 53.5 million Instagram followers, making him one of the most followed soccer players in 2021.
Marcelo was a regular under Manuel Pellegrini in the 2009-2010 season, bringing much-needed versatility and speed to the left-wing. He was the first playmaker to top La Liga’s assist charts in the 2009–10 season. However, José Mourinho’s full strengths were not revealed until the 2010-11 season.
Despite playing in the backline, his performances received praise from analysts throughout the season. As a result, he was selected Man of the Match for his first-ever Champions League goal against Olympique Lyonnais. Marcelo won the UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid in 2017 after winning the FIFA Club World Cup with the squad in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 53.1 Million Followers
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish footballer who currently plays for the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer. He is a striker for the Swedish national team. He was the captain of the Swedish football team until his retirement from international football in 2016. Zlatan is a popular opponent due to his high strike frequency, strength, precision, and stamina.
All football fans regarded him as one of the greatest players in history. He is the game’s 33rd champion and the second-most decorated active player of all time. Zlatan has 53.1 million Instagram followers and is regarded as one of the most popular football players in 2021.
He has received the Swedish top honor, The Golden Ball, eleven times. After Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was named the finest footballer of his generation.
In 2014, the main Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter placed him second among all Swedish sports figures of all time. As an aggressive goal-scorer and controversial personality, Zlatan is without a doubt the only player who is as exciting off the field as he is on it.
4. Kylian Mbappe – 65.3 Million Followers
Kylian Mbappe Lottin, also known as the French Superstar, has played forward for the France National Football Team and Paris Saint-Germain. Kylian Mbappe, a French soccer player, was born in Paris on December 20, 1998. Mbappe made his Monaco debut against SM Caen in 2015.
After scoring his first goal for Monaco at the age of 17, he became the club’s youngest goalscorer in 2016. Mbappe also scored his first international goal against the Netherlands in the 2018 World Cup qualification match. Since then, he has been lauded as one of the best football forwards in the world.
Mbappe has 69.8 million Instagram followers and is considered as one of the most followed footballers. Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick against Stade Rennais in the Coupe de la Ligue, marking the first time an opponent has scored a hat-trick in the competition since Sonny Anderson in 1997.
He became the second-youngest French scorer in UEFA Champions League history with a half-volley against Manchester City during the 2010-11 season.
3. Neymar Jr. – 164 Million Followers
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, a forward for Brazil’s national team and Paris Saint-Germain, represents the club as a forward. Neymar, a Brazilian footballer born in 1992, was born in Mogi das Cruzes. Neymar is largely recognized as one of the best football strikers of his generation.
He is frequently used as a left-winger, right-winger, striker, second striker, or both. The Brazilian has 202 club goals after 346 games and 53 goals in 83 international caps. Furthermore, with 164 million followers on Instagram, Neymar has become one of the top three most followed footballers on the platform.
Neymar’s performance earned him a spot on the FIFA Ballon d’Or shortlist, where he finished third behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar was the team captain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where he guided his team to victory by scoring the only goal in a 1-1 tie between Brazil and Germany.
It was his penalty that secured Brazil’s first Olympic gold medal in football. On March 9, 2017, Neymar and Barcelona recovered from 4-0 down to defeat PSG 6-1 in their home leg, completing the greatest comeback in football history.
2. Lionel Messi – 307 Million Followers
Despite the odds stacked against him, Lionel Andres Messi Cuccittini achieves a miracle when it is least expected. He is a PSG and Argentina national team player who plays forward. Since his debut in Barcelona a decade ago, he has become one of the world’s most popular footballers.
One of the best footballers of all time received the FIFA World Player of the Year Award as well as the Ballon d’Or. In 2009, despite being only 22 years old, he was crowned FIFA Player of the Year and received the Ballon d’Or. Messi won La Liga for the second year in a row at the end of that season.
He has scored 65 goals in 128 appearances for Argentina’s National Team. Messi, who was still a teenager at the time, represented Argentina in the 2006 World Cup. However, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Messi is known as one of the most followed footballers on Instagram, with 307 million followers. Argentina’s Lionel Messi is also the country’s all-time best goalscorer.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 415.45 Million Followers
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, a Portuguese soccer player, was born in Madeira on February 5, 1985. The forward is a member of the Portuguese national team as well as Manchester United in England. In soccer circles, he is known as Cristiano Ronaldo or CR7, and he is widely regarded as one of the best and highest-paid footballers of all time.
Lionel Messi has only five triumphs to his name as the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner. Ronaldo, known for his speed and physicality, can play both on the left-wing and as a striker. He has 555 goals in 749 matches with the Portuguese national team. As a result, he is largely considered to be the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed footballer on Instagram. He accomplishes this feat with a staggering 400 million followers. During the 2014-15 season, Ronaldo scored 61 goals in 54 appearances. This includes victories in the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
That year, he also won the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the third time in his career. He had ten goals towards the end of the Champions League season. And he is still the key striker for Manchester United of the English Premier League and the Portuguese national team.
