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THE TOP 10 MOST-FOLLOWED FOOTBALLERS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2026

The top 10 most-followed footballers on Instagram in 2026.

The top 10 most popular football players on Instagram. The top 10 football stars on Instagram in 2026.

Brought to you by Mau, a Senior Instagram Marketing Specialist at eDigital.

THE TOP 10 MOST-FOLLOWED FOOTBALLERS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2026

Before you start checking these top 10 most popular football players on Instagram – ranking list, let me tell you something you might find hard to admit:

Instagram is mugging you in broad daylight 🔫 while you thank them for the privilege.

Instagram algorithm shows your “viral” content to roughly the same audience who’d notice if you screamed to your office printer: Mark from marketing who does not even know your name. 😵

You own nothing 🤡 on your Instagram account.

You’re renting followers from landlords who charge you extra just to talk to your audience.

It’s like building a mansion on rented land: expensive, temporary, and the landlord can bulldoze it whenever they update their “community guidelines”. 🏠💥

Meanwhile, Zuckerberg is swimming in a pool filled with your ad spend. 🏊‍♂️💰

Your current situation:

❌ Zero follower data ownership 📊❌
❌ Organic reach = no-one watching! 🕵️‍♂️
❌ Ad costs rising faster than your therapy bills 📈💀
❌ Followers “export” button? Pure fantasy 🦄

The intervention your marketing needs:

✅ Stop being Instagram’s favourite ATM 🏧❌
✅ Own your audience 👑
✅ Lower your customer acquisition costs 💰
✅ Build marketing systems that own and control 🤖❤️

Throwing money at Instagram ads hoping for results is expensive self-harm with the worse ROI. 🔥

Ready to break up with Instagram’s abuse?

Book a strategy session and learn to build digital marketing that works for you, not against your bank account. 🚀

Stop renting your success. Start owning it.

Let’s craft the best digital marketing plan and social media strategy that boosts sales and customer lifetime value.

THE TOP 10 MOST-FOLLOWED FOOTBALLERS ON INSTAGRAM IN 2026

Who are world’s the top 10 most popular football players on Instagram?

Below you are about to find the most followed footballers on Instagram. 

The 2026 ranking list of the top 10 football players with the most followers on Instagram.

The below list is quite different to the world’s top 10 most popular footballers on TikTok.

Are you a footballer who need support with your social media? Contact us today!

10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 64+ million followers.

@iamzlatanibrahimovic

If you need to choose one of these top 10 sports stars to follow, this is your man, the “real” man.

Sports journalists and media revere Zlatan’s “no bullshit” ninja personality that allows him to say things no other football player in history has had the balls to say.

This controversial elite Swedish ex-footballer walked his talk with a remarkable football career.

Hated by few but loved by millions, Zlatan is one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram and one of the world’s top 10 most popular footballers on TikTok.

After a few years in the decadent men’s American soccer league, Zlatan Ibrahimovic came back to AC Milan FC (in 2019 – aged 38)  to become “again” one of the top Calcio league (Serie A) top goal scorers of the season.

Zlatan has now retired as a professional football player in June 2023 with a massive farewell at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy.

Global marketing campaigns using Zlatan’s name and look can be seen on brands such as Nike, EA Sports, FIFPro, United Nations World Food Program and Auto Images.

Most viewed this year: the best Diego Maradona photos

9. Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 67.5+ million followers.

@sergioramos

 

Sergio Ramos is one of the most popular Spanish football defenders in the last decade.

Ramos’s successful career at Real Madrid FC has made him win different trophies including Champions League titles.

Sergio Ramos is also one of the world’s top 10 most-followed footballers on Instagram and also one of the world’s top 10 most-followed footballers on TikTok.

In June 2023, Sergio Ramos left Paris Saint Germain FC and joined Sevilla FC

His followers can enjoy watching videos and photos of his training regime and his fashion style. His attack on the “Egyptian king” Mohamed Salah in the Champions League Final 2018 went viral as Mo Salah had to leave the pitch with a bad shoulder injury.

Sergio Ramos has worked with top brands including Nike, Mizuno, Nivea Men, Hugo Boss, Budweiser, McFit, Pepsi, Gatorade, Assassin’s Creed and Microsoft.

Learn how to brief a sports athlete like a pro with this best influencer marketing brief template.

8. Marcelo Vieira

Marcelo is one of the most popular footballers on Instagram with 68.5+ million followers.

@marcelotwelve

Loved by millions of Brazilians, Marcelo is one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram and one of the world’s top 10 most popular footballers on TikTok.

Marcelo played for Real Madrid FC (successor of another great left-winger Roberto Carlos), Galatasaray F.C. and now playing for Fluminense F.C. He also played for the Brazilian football team.

Marcelo Vieira retired in February 2025  and won 22 trophies including four UEFA Champions Leagues as well as five Spanish top professional “La Liga” titles with his team. Marcelo has mainly featured in global marketing campaigns for Adidas, Pepsi, Emirates Airlines, Amazon Prime Video and others.

Learn how to brief a sports athlete like a pro with this best influencer marketing brief template

7. Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema is one of the most popular footballers on Instagram with 75.2+ million followers.

@karimbenzema

Karim Benzema is a French Arab striker who was in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo for many years but since Ronaldo left Real Madrid FC

Karim Benzema became the biggest star for the Spanish team and is considered one of the best strikers of the last decade.

He finally secured his first Ballon d’Or in Oct 2022.

Karim currently plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.

Some of the brands that the striker endorses include Adidas, Hyundai, EA Sports, Bwin and French companies like LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) and SFR (Société française du radiotéléphone).

On the 27th of December 2023, Karim Benzema’s Instagram Account was taken offline hours after Al-Ittihad’s 5-2 Loss to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr FC.

Briefing a Sports influencer? Learn how to write the best Influencer marketing brief now!

Tip: Elite sporting athletes are just one section of the sporting industry and you could partner with other popular members of the sports industry:

1. Top sports manager/coaches. Their interviews get tons of views, especially on YouTube.
2. Top sports presenters. These are the faces covering sporting news on TV.
3. Top sports commentators. A sports commentator (also known as a sports announcer, sportscaster, or play-by-play announcer) gives a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast. They can also be invited to a sports show to offer commentary after a popular game.
4. Top sports entertainers. Sports entertainers are content creators who love making funny videos about popular live broadcasted sporting games and/or matches. You can find them on YouTube, TikTok, etc.
5. Top rules analysts. In the last decade, live sports broadcasters began to increasingly employ rules analysts to explain penalties and controversial calls and analyse instant replay reviews to predict whether a call/fault will or will not be overturned. These rules analysts are typically former referees.

Most shared today: the top 10 American female sports athletes on Instagram

Are you a footballer who need support with your social media?

Contact us today!

6. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 78.2+ million followers.

@ronaldinho

Ronaldinho is a retired Brazilian professional football player who became popular for his fancy way of acrobatic football playing especially when he played for Barcelona FC and Milan F.C.

Considered one of the greatest of all time, Ronaldinho is still one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram and one of the world’s top 10 most popular footballers on TikTok.

Ronaldinho has been featured as a model or ambassador by top brands including Nike, Lenovo (new Lenovo logo PNG), Hyundai, Pepsi, Protobar (energy snack bar), Mybet88 Asia, Freestyle Football Federation, Teqball Football Federation, Barcelona F.C., Paralympics Games, Nutrilite (Vitamins and supplements), Danet (yogurt) and others.

Some of the top 10 most-followed Brazilian women on YouTube follow Ronaldinho.

Trending today: the new Barcelona FC logo png

5. David Beckham

David Beckham is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 88.6+ million followers.

A professional English retired footballer, David Beckham is one of the top 25 British people on Instagram and one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram.

Beckham played as a striker and his goals with the Manchester United team will always be watched and remembered. Fans enjoy following his Inter Miami F.C. managing activities and his “shirt off” workout videos on Instagram.

Beckham has collaborated on many advertising and marketing campaigns for brands including Sky Sports, H&M, Visit California, Burger King, Pepsi, Jaguar, Adidas, EA Sports, Sharpie (markers), Motorola, Vodafone, ESPN, Homme (Perfume), SharkNinja (home and personal appliances) and others.

Exclusive: The top 25 British people on Instagram

You can use the best Social Media Strategy template and start marketing in a far more meaningful and effective way.

4. Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé is one of the most popular footballers on Instagram with 129+ million followers.

@k.mbappé

The wonder French young professional footballer, Kylian Mbappé already won the 2018 World Cup and now is considered one of the youngest top football strikers along with Norwegian: Erling Haaland.

Coming from Monaco F.C., Kylian plays as a striker for the professional French team: Paris Saint Germain FC (PSG). He is considered one of the world’s fastest and most astute goal scorers making him one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram.

Kylian has already been featured in marketing and advertising campaigns with top brands including FIFA (football), EA Sports (sports gaming), Good Goût (French organic baby and children foods’ brand), Sony Playstation, Nike Football & Jordan brands, Hublot watches, Bulk Homme (Japanese skincare brand) and others.

Sports marketers are reading this year’s top 10 TikTok Marketing trends

Sports Marketers are also reading: the top 25 female fitness influencers on Instagram – ranking list.

3. Neymar Jr

Meymar Jr is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 233+ million followers.

@neymarjr

Is Neymar Jr a model of some of the top 25 luxury high fashion brands or is he a rapper celebrity, a singer or a top football player?

A bit everything, the media has catapulted this professional Brazilian footballer as the “always crying” diva but surely Neymar has shown the world he is one of the world’s most talented footballers.

The MSN (Messi-Suarez-Neymar) at Barcelona FC, will always be remembered as one of the most dangerous forward threesomes in football history!

Neymar Jr is one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram and one of the world’s top 10 most popular footballers on TikTok.

Neymar’s fans loved to watch his football skills, tricks, fashion style, goals and funniest and most memorable football moments.

Neymar Jr has played for the Brazilian football team, Barcelona FC and Paris Saint Germain FC (PSG).

Neymar’s fans checked out some of the top 10 most popular Brazilian women on YouTube.

Neymar fans are checking some of the best 10 Neymar wallpapers HD laptop photos wearing the Brazilian t-shirt images

2. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi (Leo Messi) is one of the most-followed footballers on Instagram with 511+ million followers.

@leomessi

 

Related: the best 10 Lionel Messi wallpaper images and photos

A graduate of La Masia (Barcelona’s youth academy), The Argentinian currently plays for Inter Miami football club.

Leo Messi‘s unique ball dribbling inventions and game-awareness skills have made him win many trophies such as the latest 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the 2021 Copa America in Brazil and his 8th Ballon d’Or in 2023.

Messi’s golden years in Barcelona FC – under the management of Pep Guardiola epitomised him as the GOAT (Greatest of all time).

On his first day at PSG FC in 2021, Messi’s t-shirt hit sales records for his new club, confirming his power as a brand.

The late controversial and iconic Argentinian footballer Diego Armando Maradona once said:

“The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi’s ball control“

The GOAT debate (Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo) has ended after his successful 2022 World Cup that crowned him as the winner. Sadly the GOAT debate will no longer fill social media platforms with millions of comments from raving fans.

Cristiano Ronaldo still possesses a record many professional football analysts believe may take him above Leo Messi: Cristiano has scored far more decisive goals (goals that win titles).

One of the most followed footballers on Instagram, Leo Messi sadly collaborates with unhealthy brands such as Pepsi, Gatorade (sugary drinks), Lays (chips), Budweiser and video gaming companies that make kids addicted to consoles (PUBG, Call of Duty Warzone2 ModernWarfare 2, Sorare).

Shameful for a guy of this calibre.

Other “brand ambassador deals” include Adidas, Cirque du Soleil, Hard Rock Cafe, Apple TV, Saudi Tourism Authority (visitsaudi),  Louis Vuitton, Socios.com, Bitget (Crypo exchange platform)

Messi and Ronaldo’s new football club announcements on Instagram and Twitter saw massive engagement from the football community and fans around the world. What it was clear Ronaldo’s move back to Manchester United FC was more popular (See image) in terms of Instagram/Twitter likes than Messi’s move to PSG.

Popular this month: the top 10 Lionel Messi photos wearing the Argentinian shirt

 

Are you a footballer who need support with your social media?

Contact us today!

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is the world’s most popular footballer on Instagram with 670+ million followers.

@cristiano

Related: The best 10 Cristiano Ronaldo wallpaper images and photos

Cristiano Ronaldo has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or a record eighteen times and is a five-time winner.

Born in Madera Island, Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo is now playing for a Saudi Arabian team after an extraordinary career at Manchester United FC, Real Madrid FC and Juventus FC.

Everything this Portuguese football king touches converts it into money.

Cristiano Ronaldo knows the power of celebrity branding and has successfully launched different businesses including hotels (Pertana CR7), Health & fitness app (7egent), Gym (CR7 Crunch fitness), eyewear, underwear, shoes (footwear) and fashion. Cristiano has collaborated with and been the model for global marketing campaigns and brands including Nike, Insparya (haircare), Herbalife Nutrition, Dazn (sports app), Clear (haircare), SixPad (fitness gear), Free Fire (Gaming app).

Out of the pitch, Cristiano Ronaldo is also known for creating controversy, especially when telling the media he is a better player than Lionel Messi.

Regardless, he will continue to be one of the world’s top 25 sports athletes on Instagram.

CRISTIANO RONALDO COCA-COLA BOTTLE REMOVAL

In June 2021, during a football post-match interview, Cristiano Ronaldo (one of the top 25 sports athletes on Instagram) surprisingly removed a couple of Coca-Cola bottles in a stunt to promote his own water brand.

This action produced a single-day drop of USD$3 billion in Coke’s market capitalisation.

Are you a footballer who need support with your social media?

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Elite footballers are some of the world’s top 10 Instagram Influencers who can help you increase brand awareness, thereby driving more traffic to your website.

The top 10 most popular football players on Instagram have the power to drive more people towards your products or services. This is because consumers trust the recommendations made by their favourite professional footballers.

Marketers are using our “Top 200 Sports Athletes on Instagram” list to start their Sports Influencer Outreach program to cherry-pick the right athletes. Then you can contact your preferred sports athletes and negotiate deals that will lead to more sales.

Next: the world’s top 10 most-followed footballers on TikTok

Have your say! 🗣

💬 Users’ comments about this “Top 10 Most Popular Football Players on Instagram“ ranking list:

• “Marketers: posting like Ronaldo ⚽📸 or Messi ⚽👑 won’t turn your brand into a GOAT, it’ll just make you look like a fan account with a football addiction 🐐💼😂. Football marketing isn’t magic, it’s a planned approach to reach the right people who are likely not wasting their time on Instagram” 🎯🧠📊 Josh Kendall

Send us your comment and get your opinion published!

🎬 Conclusion