5 Barcelona players with the most Instagram followers

The rapid growth of commercialization in football has had a direct impact on the day-to-day functioning of super clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid. As a result, more and more focus is being laid on the social media handles of the said teams, especially Instagram. The massive following of the Facebook-owned platform has caused many players to pay special attention to their social media influence to generate maximum revenue.

No Barcelona players feature in the list of 'most followed footballers on Instagram'

Following Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG, the Ligue 1 club's Instagram presence saw a reported increase of 4.5 million followers in a day, while Barcelona were left licking their wounds. He is the second-most followed footballer on the platform, with 270 million admirers at the time of writing. With Messi gone, no other Barcelona player comes close to breaking into the top 10.

Manchester United's star player Cristiano Ronaldo is still the undisputed leader of Instagram with a gargantuan fan following of 349 million. In fact, the 36-year-old forward is the most followed personality on Instagram, period. The flamboyant No.10 from PSG, Neymar, has to settle for third place with 161 million followers, with teammate Kylian Mbappe trailing in fourth at a following of 58.9 million.

With social media playing such a crucial role in a player's morale nowadays, footballers tend to interact with such platforms more and more. Barcelona's players are no exception either, with the Blaugrana personnel enjoying a considerable presence on Instagram.

With this notion on our minds, let's take a look at five Barcelona players with the most number of Instagram followers right now:

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#5 Marc-André ter Stegen - 13 Million

Ter Stegen is indispensable for Barcelona

In a club as financially mismanaged as Barcelona, the €12 million acquisition of Marc-André ter Stegen in 2014 has proven to be an astute piece of business. Following a few initial blunders, the German shot-stopper has successfully established his place as Barcelona's undisputed first-choice custodian.

Considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in world football, Ter Stegen has been extremely unfortunate on the international front. Despite his heroics for Barcelona, he has failed to displace the evergreen Manuel Neuer between the sticks in the national team setup.

Having said that, 116 clean sheets in 283 appearances for the club is no joke. Even in turbulent times, when the defence has constantly faltered, Ter Stegen has been a reliable figure. Throwing his humble nature into the mix, we get the reason behind his massive following. At the time of writing, the 29-year-old shot-stopper has an impressive 13 million followers on Instagram.

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#4 Jordi Alba - 13.5 Million

Alba is currently suffering from fitness issues

Having recently entered his tenth season with the Catalan giants, Jordi Alba has been a mainstay at Barcelona ever since he swapped Mestalla Stadium for Camp Nou. Alba famously graduated from La Masia before leaving the club in search of better opportunities.

The Spaniard inherited Eric Abidal's throne in the left-back position at Barcelona, making an instant connection with the fans. His lightning runs through the left flank instilled fear in the hearts of opposition defences, following them with pinpoint crosses. Alba's telepathic connection with Lionel Messi has produced a number of memorable goals in the past decade.

Thoroughly cherished by the Blaugrana faithful, Alba is extremely popular in the footballing world. His 13.5 million followers on Instagram are a testament to this fact. While the Catalan defender has experienced a considerable dip in recent years, he continues to maintain a starting position in the Barcelona lineup.

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#3 Gerard Pique - 19.5 Million

Pique has a really high follower count on Instagram

Barcelona's current vice-captain finds his way into third-place in this Instagram-based list. Gerard Pique possesses an invigorating personality, which is absolutely adored by his fans and despised by his haters. The reliable centre-back has been very active off the field, making constant remarks on controversial topics.

His recent decision to take a substantial salary cut to aid his side in a time of need garnered applause from Culers all across the world. Due to his generous gesture, cash-strapped Barcelona were able to register Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia inside the allotted time window.

Touted to take up a high ranking position in the Barcelona hierarchy down the lane, Pique is a popular figure in Catalonia. This popularity directly reflects in his social media presence, with the centre-back boasting an Instagram follower count of 19.5 million.

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#2 Sergio Aguero - 20 Million

Aguero is set to return to football next month

Having joined the club earlier this summer on a free transfer, Sergio Aguero is yet to make his first appearance for Barcelona. The Argentine striker was ruled out in August due to a tendon injury to his right calf and is still on the road to recovery. He is expected to make a return in late October.

Neglecting a rough start to life at Barcelona, Aguero has had a career to remember. He spent most of his playing days in England, turning out for Manchester City between 2011-2021. In that duration, the prolific forward managed to amass 260 goals for the club, comfortably putting him at the top of the scoring charts at the Etihad Stadium.

Aside from his goalscoring prowess, Aguero also has a loyal fan base on Instagram due to his likeable nature. An avid Twitch streamer, the 33-year-old veteran, has a total of 20 million Instagram followers, making him the second-most popular Barcelona athlete on the platform.

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#1 Philippe Coutinho - 23.3 Million

Coutinho can be an integral player at Barcelona this season

Were such a list drafted in the month of July, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann would've comfortably taken the top two spots. However, after the Argentine's transfer to PSG and Griezmann's loan deal to Atletico containing an obligation to buy, Philippe Coutinho has the highest number of Instagram followers at Barcelona.

Having secured a dream move to Camp Nou in the winter of 2020, nothing has gone according to plan for the flashy Brazilian. Commanding a mind-boggling initial fee of €135m, Coutinho's signing has been an absolute disaster for Barcelona and is partly responsible for their current financial predicament.

Despite producing a lackluster 23 goals and 14 assists in 94 appearances for the Blaugrana, Coutinho has a devoted following on Instagram. His 23.3 million followers allow him to maintain a decent engagement with his fans. As far as matters on the pitch are concerned, this season could be Coutinho's final chance to salvage his Barcelona career.

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