Top 10 Most Followed Footballers on Instagram | 2024 Popularity Ranking
Sports such as football are more common than other sports and are considered the most exciting and accompanying type of sports around the world. It is a fact that football is the best sport of them all because it is the most exciting. And there are several most followed footballers on Instagram that further prove the popularity of this game.
It’s no surprise that Instagram and football have become strong combinations. This platform has enabled fans to see the daily stories, posts, scenes, backstage goals, and lifestyles of numerous footballers. Every fan can observe their celeb’s insights, from family gatherings to new cuts and clothes.
Here we discussed the ten most followed footballers on Instagram who gained massive popularity because of their exceptional skills.
Most Followed Footballers On Instagram | 2024 Popularity Ranking
Footballers are not just the most important sportsmen right now but also the highest-paid athletes. Besides, they have immense popularity on all social media platforms. But their popularity remained sky-high on Instagram. Without further ado, let’s reveal the stardom!
10. Gareth Bale – 50.2 Million Followers
Welsh footballer Gareth Frank Bale was born on 16 July 1989. He plays for Los Angeles FC and the Wales national team. Bale earned a reputation for his free-kick ability as a left-back while at Southampton. Besides, he is widely regarded as one of the best wingers in football right now. To keep his place at Tottenham Hotspur, Bale signed a seven-million-pound contract in 2007.
His playing style changed as a result of managerial and tactical changes at Tottenham. With Harry Redknapp as manager during the 2009–10 season, Bale gained international attention following their performance in the UEFA Champions League in 2010–11.
Bale gained 50.2 million followers and named himself one of the most followed footballers on IG. Among his awards are the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2011 and 2013, as well as his selection to the 2013 UEFA Team of the Year.
Furthermore, he received three awards in 2013: the Premier League Player of the Season, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the PFA Young Player of the Year. From 2011 to 2013, he was a nominee in the PFA Team of the Year for three straight years.
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9. James Rodríguez – 50.5 Million Followers
Colombian footballer James Rodriguez plays as an attacking winger for the Colombian national team as well as for the Greek Super League club Olympiacos. With his playmaking abilities and goal-scoring techniques, he is known to be a proficient player. With the encouragement of his father, James began playing football with a professional team.
After starting his football training at the young age of 15, he developed into a talented player. Besides that, James has a fan following of 46 million and has become one of the most followed footballers on Instagram. He is also one of the most handsome footballers to watch out for!
At age 15, he played for the club Envigado in his first professional game. His first match with the Argentine team Banfield came in 2009, after a successful career in his homeland.
Through his performances, he did not only dazzle teammates, and coaches but also rivals. Despite his team’s elimination in the quarter-finals, he performed brilliantly for his national team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, winning the Golden Boot.
8. Sergio Ramos – 56.7 Million Followers
Originally from Spain, Sergio Ramos Garcia was born on 30 March 1986 and played for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Spanish national team. For 16 seasons, he played for Real Madrid as a center-back, and he was their captain for six of those seasons. Even after his recent transfer to PSG, he still remains the richest defender in football history.
As a right-back, he played earlier in his career. With over 56 million followers and nearly 2,355 posts, the World Cup winner is one of the most followed footballers on Instagram. In the summer of 2005, Ramos moved from Sevilla’s youth academy to Real Madrid after two seasons with the senior squad.
In addition to five La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles, he became one of La Liga’s top goal scorers from a defensive position, winning 22 major honors with Real Madrid. The UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season award to Ramos in each of his four UEFA Champions League seasons was an integral part of the build-up to each win.
It was also 93 minutes into the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final that he scored the equalizer. The defender has also been named La Liga’s Best Defender five times and was selected for the 2016 La Liga Team of the Season.
7. Paul Pogba – 57.3 Million Followers
A French footballer, Paul Labile Pogba, was born on 15 March 1993 in Lyon, France. He is known for representing Juventus now, as well as representing France on the national team. As well as being a central midfielder, he can also serve in attacking midfield, as a defensive midfielder, and as a deep-lying playmaker. He is now dubbed as one of the greatest midfielders in football right now by many football pundits.
In 2007, Pogba joined the youth academy of Le Havre, and two years later, he joined Manchester United for an undisclosed fee. On social media, Pogba has more than 57 million followers, and he is one of the most followed footballers on Instagram.
After making a few appearances for Manchester United, he joined Juventus in 2012. He also won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana with the club as well as four straight Serie A titles during his tenure during the club. Following the Gold Boy Award in 2013, Pogba received the Bravo Award in 2014.
The talented young player has since established himself as one of the best players in the world. As football player of the year in 2015, Pogba was selected for the UEFA Team of the Year and the FIFA FIFPro World XI awards. Following their first Champions League Final in 12 years, Juventus won the 2015 UEFA Champions League.
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6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 58.2 Million Followers
A Swedish footballer who plays for the Serie A side AC Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays as a striker for the Swedish national team. Until he retired from international football in 2016, he was the Swedish football team’s captain. The fact that Zlatan strikes with such frequency, strength, precision, and stamina makes him a popular opponent.
All the football fans dubbed him one of the strongest footballers in history. A 33-time champion of the game, he is also the second-most decorated active player of all time. Zlatan has a fan following of 58.2 million followers on Instagram and is known as one of the most popular football players in 2023.
It is the Swedish highest honor, The Golden Ball, that he has received eleven times. Zlatan won the award for the best footballer of his era after legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dagens Nyheter, a leading Swedish newspaper, ranked him second among all Swedish sports figures of all time in 2014. Zlatan is undoubtedly the only player who is as entertaining off the field as he is on it, as an aggressive goal-scorer and controversial figure.
5. Marcelo – 62 Million Followers
Former Real Madrid player Marcelo Vieira da Silva Junior represents Brazil and the Brazilian side Fluminense. It is impossible to argue with his status as one of the best-attacking left-backs and one of the greatest football defenders in the world. As a Fluminense player, Marcelo wears the Number 12 while standing 5 ft 9 in.
In 2016, he was named to the La Liga Team of the Season, UEFA’s Team of the Year a couple of times, and the FIFPro World XI four times. Furthermore, Marcelo gained 62 million followers and became one of the most followed soccer players on Instagram in 2023.
Marcelo was a regular player under Manuel Pellegrini in the 2009-2010 season and brought much-needed versatility and speed to the left flank during that season. In the 2009–10 season, he was the first playmaker to reach the top of La Liga’s assist charts. However, José Mourinho didn’t showcase his true strengths until the 2010-11 season.
His performances earned plaudits from pundits throughout the season despite playing in the backline. As a result, he was named Man of the Match for his goal against Olympique Lyonnais, his first-ever in the Champions League. After winning the FIFA Club World Cup with Madrid in 2014, 2016, and 2017, Marcelo won the UEFA Champions League with the team in 2017.
4. Kylian Mbappe – 98.6 Million Followers
Known as the French Superstar, Kylian Mbappe Lottin has played as a forward for the France National Football Team and Paris Saint-Germain. French soccer player Kylian Mbappe was born on 20 December 1998 in Paris. In the year 2015, Mbappe made his Monaco debut against SM Caen.
In 2016, he became the youngest goalscorer for Monaco after scoring his first goal at 17. And in the 2018 World Cup qualification match against the Netherlands, Mbappe scored his first international goal. Since then, he started getting praised as one of the best football forwards in the world. And he also displayed amazing performance and won the Golden Boot in the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar.
Mbappe has a fan following of 98.6 million followers and is known as one of the most followed footballers on Instagram. Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the Coupe de la Ligue match against Stade Rennais, and it was the first time an opponent had scored a hat-trick in the competition since Sonny Anderson in 1997.
In the 2010-11 UEFA Champions League campaign, he became the second-youngest French scorer in UEFA Champions League history by scoring a half-volley against Manchester City.
3. Neymar Jr. – 204 Million Followers
As a forward for Brazil’s national team and Paris Saint Germain, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior represents the club in the form of a forward. A Brazilian footballer born in 1992, Neymar was born in Mogi das Cruzes. It is widely regarded that Neymar is one of the best football strikers of his generation.
It is common for him to play on the left-wing, right-wing, striker, second striker, or both. With 77 goals in 124 international caps, the Brazilian has 204 club goals in 337 matches. Moreover, Neymar has a huge fan following on IG with 204 million followers and has become one of the top 3 most followed footballers on Instagram.
As a result of Neymar’s performance, he earned a spot on the FIFA Ballon d’Or shortlist and finished third behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Neymar served as the team captain and led his team to victory, scoring the only goal in a 1-1 draw between Brazil and Germany.
It was his penalty that secured Brazil’s first gold medal in Olympic football. Neymar and Barcelona came from 4-0 down to beat PSG 6-1 in their home leg on 9 March 2017, making it the biggest comeback in football history.
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2. Lionel Messi – 433 Million Followers
Despite the odds against him, Lionel Messi turns things around and performs a miracle when it is least expected. As a talisman of PSG and Argentina’s national team, he plays forward. Since his arrival in Barcelona a decade back, he has become one of the most popular footballers in the world.
One of the greatest footballers of all time was awarded the FIFA World Player of the Year Award and Ballon d’Or as well. Although he was only 22, he was named FIFA Player of the Year and Ballon d’Or in 2009. At the end of that season, Messi won the La Liga title for the second consecutive season.
As a member of Argentina’s National Team, he has scored 98 goals in 172 appearances. Messi, who was relatively young at the time, played in the 2006 World Cup for Argentina. However, the team was knocked out in the quarterfinal. But in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, he led the Argentine side to lift the World Cup trophy.
With a following of 433 million people on IG, Messi is known as one of the most followed footballers on Instagram. Argentine star Lionel Messi is also the leading goalscorer in his country’s history.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo – 551 Million Followers
Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born on 5 February 1985 in Madeira. The forward represents the Portuguese national team and the Saudi club Al Nassr. In soccer circles, he is often referred to as Cristiano Ronaldo or CR7, among the best and the highest-paid footballers of all time.
Lionel Messi only crossed his five victories with him as the FIFA Ballon d’Or winner. Known for his pace and physicality, Ronaldo has the ability to play on the left wing and striker. In 196 matches for the Portuguese national team, he has scored 118 goals. And for that, he is now widely regarded as the greatest Portuguese footballer of all time.
Ronaldo tops the position of most followed footballers on Instagram. He achieves this feat with a massive amount of 550+ million followers. Ronaldo scored 61 goals in 54 appearances during the 2014-15 season alone. And that includes winning the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.
For the third time in his career, he won the FIFA Ballon d’Or that year as well. As of the end of the Champions League season, he had ten goals. And now, he remains the main striking force for the Al Nassr and the Portuguese national team.
Final Words
We hope you liked the latest ranking of our most followed footballers in sport’s history. We appreciate your feedback.
Most Popular Footballers On Instagram | 2024 Ranking
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FAQs Regarding Most-Followed Footballers On IG
Q. Who is the most-followed footballer in the world?
More than 551 million people follow Cristiano Ronaldo on Instagram. As well as on Instagram and Facebook, Ronaldo is the most followed person worldwide.
Q. Which English footballer has the most followers on Instagram?
Last year, David Beckham had 67.3 million followers on Instagram, making him the most-followed celebrity influencer in the United Kingdom (UK). The second most-followed artist was singer Dua Lipa, who reached 58.1 million followers and grew the fastest.
Q. Which football player has the most fans on Instagram?
Athlete Cristiano Ronaldo has over 551 million followers on the photo-sharing platform Instagram. Besides being the most followed person on Instagram, Ronaldo is also very popular on Facebook.
Q. Who is the No 1 in total followers on Instagram?
Football star Cristiano Ronaldo has more than 551 million Instagram followers, making him the most popular individual on the platform.
Q. Which football player has the most fans in 2023?
According to social media stats, it comes as no surprise that the Portuguese forward Ronaldo is the most followed footballer. Messi is in second place, but the Portuguese player has more followers.