Virat Kohli vs Cristiano Ronaldo - who earns more per Instagram post?

Former Team India captain Virat Kohli and Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo are among the most popular sporting icons in the world. Their staggering social media following is a testament to their massive craze among the masses.

With over 658 million followers on Instagram, Ronaldo is the most followed person on the social media platform. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has more than 278 million followers, the highest in Asia and among cricketers.

According to a report by Influencer Marketing Hub, Ronaldo was the highest paid Instagram star in 2024, raking in $3,234,000 (approx ₹27.66 crore) per post. Kohli was the only Indian to feature in the top 20 list.

The report suggested that Kohli pocketed $1,384,000 (approx ₹11.85 crore) per Instagram post in 2024. His average price per post was more than Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj, American television personality Kourtney Kardashian and Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr.

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Virat Kohli's post after India's 2024 T20 World Cup victory garnered over 22 million likes on Instagram

Virat Kohli was one of the key architects of India's seven-run win over South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados. The veteran batter played a clutch knock under pressure, scoring 76 runs off 59 balls.

He announced his retirement from T20Is following the showpiece event. The 36-year-old shared a few pictures with the T20 World Cup trophy on his Instagram account.

The post received over 22 million likes, becoming the most liked post by an Indian account. The record was shattered by digital creator Shobhit Gour, who got nearly 27 million likes on one of his posts.

On the cricketing front, Virat Kohli was last seen in action during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). He lifted the coveted trophy for the first time in his career as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ended their 18-year title drought.

RCB clinched a six-run victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final in Ahmedabad. Kohli was the team's leading run-getter of the season, aggregating 657 runs across 15 innings.