Most followed Football players worldwide 2024: Football is the most-watched sport in the world. So naturally, footballers are some of the most popular athletes, nay, people in the world. Instagram, as one of the most popular social media platforms has most celebrities make an account on the Facebook-owned platform.
Today, we will look at the 10 most followed football stars on Instagram. While on-field ability plays a big role in the social media following of a footballer, creating a brand around one’s name, or being a huge personality is the key.
Most Followed Football Players Worldwide 2024
10) Sergio Ramos – 61.5 M
The Spanish legend is in conversation about being the greatest defender in the 21st century. Now at the twilight of his career aged 37, Ramos was an integral part of the Real Madrid team that used to win Champions Trophy titles for fun in the 2010s. From 2011 to 2022, he was part of FIFPro’s World 11 team every single year.
After his legendary stint at Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos signed with PSG in 2021 to sign off his career. But most recently, he has signed back with his boyhood club, Sevilla.
On Instagram, Ramos regularly posts about his training and on-field game, with posts about his off-field life sprinkled in.
9) Mohamed Salah – 62.7 M
One of the greatest African players of this generation, the Egyptian maestro was a big reason for Liverpool’s resurrection as a world-beater team under manager Jurgen Klopp. Right-wing forward, Salah is one of the most explosive and effective strikers in the world.
Having won all there is to win with the The Reds, Mohamed Salah has also won the Premier League Golden Boot on three occasions, the League Player of the Season once, and has been part of its Team of the Season three times.
On his very popular Instagram page, Mo Salah posts a good mix of his life outside the field, his training regimen, and pictures of his performances for Egypt and Liverpool.
8) Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 63.6 M
The legendary Swedish striker just announced his retirement in 2023 at the age of 41. One of the greatest strikers in the world for a very long time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been one of the most prolific scorers for many clubs in his career.
Certainly not a one-club man, Zlatan has donned the hats of several European giants in his time, with the likes of Ajax, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, PSG, and Manchester United having seen the big-Swede dominate for them.
Having moved on from the sport, Ibrahimovic mostly posts about his life and businesses other than football on his Instagram.
7) Ronaldinho – 74.6 M
One of the most liked footballers of his time, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho is also one of the most followed athletes on Instagram. One of the most stylish footballers of all time. An absolute legend for clubs like AC Milan and Barcelona, he is one of the very few players who have won the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, and a Ballon d’Or.
One of the faces of the sport during the height of his powers in the mid-2000s, Ronaldinho dazzled fans and confused the opponents with his sheer skill on the ball at all times, a true magician with a football.
To his 70 million plus followers on Instagram, Ronaldinho shares snapshots of his life and throwbacks to his days on the field.
6) Karim Benzema – 75.6 M
The current Ballon d’Or winner, Karim Benzema has his image go from a supporting character to Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid to a genuine leader of an all-time great Real Madrid side. A prolific scorer for all his time for the Madrid-based club and the French national team, Benzema showed why he must be considered one of the best players in the world when he pulled Los Blancos to a Champions League victory in 2022.
Now in the twilight of his career, Karim has cashed in on a major contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad. He is now one of the highest-earning athletes in the world.
On his Instagram, Benzema shows his off-field training and on-field action, sprinkled with some posts about his life outside the sport.
5) David Beckham – 84.1 M
The English legend and one of the most glamorous personalities the game has ever seen, David Beckham is currently the President of the MLS-side Inter Miami. One of the most recognisable names in the history of football, Beckham was an absolute star back in his day for England and Manchester United.
In his career on the field, David has blazed many trails. One of the most high-profile English transfers to a club like Real Madrid, it was his move to LA Galaxy in 2007 that truly shocked the world.
David Beckham shows off his celebrity lifestyle in America on his Instagram. He also posts about his club Inter Miami, and their biggest star – Lionel Messi.
4) Kylian Mbappe – 109 M
Arguably the best player in the world for the past few years, Kylian Mbappe has taken the football world by storm since signing for PSG in 2018. Apart from his countless goals and record for his club side, Mbappe is an absolute monster for the French National Team.
After becoming only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final in 2018 and winning the tournament, he bettered his personal achievements by becoming only the second player after Geoff Hurst to score a hattrick in a WC final four years later, winning the Golden Boot in the process.
To his 100 million plus Instagram followers, Kylian Mbappe mostly shows off his football on the pitch, and his fashion sense off it.
3) Neymar Jr. – 215 M
Latest in a line of exciting and world-class Brazilian footballers, Neymar Jr. has been one of the most popular athletes in the world for a decade now. It is only natural that he is also one of the most followed.
First catching the eyes of the world during his time at Santos, his move to Barcelona created one of the greatest attacking trio of all time as Neyman, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suarez joined forces. That Barcelona side was also one of the greatest of all time.
Once he moved to Paris Saint Germain in a record signing in 2017, he seemed to have fallen in the standings of best footballers in the world, despite scoring bucketloads at the French club.
Now signed with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, Neymar mostly posts about his luxurious lifestyle and on-pitch performances. A big family man, he also posts a lot of pictures with his family and friends.
2) Lionel Messi – 489 M
One of the greatest footballers of all time, Lionel Messi has done it all in football. The highest-ever goal-scorer for Barcelona, he was at the club during its greatest eras of dominance for about 15 years. Having won it all in his career, Messi most recently won the new trophy that eluded him all his career, the World Cup.
Having won the Ballon d’Or a record seven times, Messi most recently went to conquer football’s last frontier, the USA. Having signed with David Beckham’s Inter Miami, Messi is attracting more and more eyes on the game in the Land of the Free.
To his gargantuan Instagram following, Messi has most recently been posting about his life in America, his performances for Inter Miami and his adjusting to life in a new country.
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1) Cristiano Ronaldo – 608 M
The second player to be in the conversation of being the greatest of all time from his generation, Cristiano Ronaldo is more than a football icon. One of the most recognisable names on the planet, he is the face of the sport in certain ways.
After conquering the world with clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Juventus, Ronaldo was the first high-profile signing to a Saudi club in Al Nassr, which has now become somewhat of a trend.
He is also the leading goal scorer in Men’s international football of all time for his nation Portugal, with whom he has won a European Championship.
The largest single-person account on Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo posts about his strict training regimen, his performances on the pitch, and his luxurious life on his gargantuan Instagram page.
