First, they came to Twitter, and then it was Instagram. As football players lined up to create their accounts, they fulfilled every fan’s voyeuristic fantasies by giving them direct access to everything they do. From a plethora of selfies to pictures of them in training and masterful edits with their family and friends, the world’s most popular photo-sharing site has gone a long way in closing the gap between players and followers.
With direct access to players who announce every momentous detail of their lives on social media, who needs the news? If you’re not following the most popular stars on Instagram already, here’s who you should be looking at:
#10 David Luiz
David Luiz has made a commendable return to Stamford Bridge, working his way into the starting XI but despite his more sedate presence on the pitch, the Brazilian continues to be a riot off it. His account is a perfect embodiment of the defender himself – fun, quirky and downright nonsensical at times.
Follow the former Paris Saint-German star if you love everything that is bizarre and amusing or if you’re just a Chelsea faithful.
The 29-year-old’s profile is an amalgam of him convincing his friends, teammates, former players and even his family to pull the strangest faces and do the oddest things. A sense of whimsy is what makes his account so entertaining.
#9 David Beckham
This one’s more for the ladies than the guys, but then, who isn’t a David Beckham fan. His legendary right-foot gave us some of the best moments in football and it’s always a great nostalgic trip following the great man on Instagram. Subscribe to his account for old pictures of his time at Manchester United, especially the early days and his culinary exploits now that he has more time on his hands.
Beckham holds the record for the fastest growing account on the picture-sharing platform, amassing over a million followers in a day when he joined to mark his 40th birthday. With 32 million subscribers and counting, his uploads are a mix of his life on the road and his pet passions and projects.
#8 Gareth Bale
Ever since Gareth Bale’s injury in November, his Instagram has mainly been a documentation of his recovery as he has been working hard towards a return to Real Madrid for the past two months. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Apart from sharing intriguing updates about his current routine and the solitary road to full fitness, his account provides a unique perspective of his life as a Welsh international.
Rising to prominence with his team during Euro 2016, his profile paints an inspiring picture of a truly hard-working team. The rest of his uploads, however, sum up the life of a highly marketable athlete who plays for one of the biggest football clubs in the world – Real Madrid.
#7 Neymar Jr.
Neymar’s Instagram is a reflection of the man himself – flamboyant and a little on the side of self-obsessed. Rife with selfies at home, at training, on vacation and everywhere else possible, the Brazilian’s account is a window into his life.
Unabashed about his lifestyle, there’s plenty of uploads where he’s unwinding at a party or simply hanging out with friends. There’s plenty more evidence of his questionable sense of style on display too as he poses for Christmas photographs in a red half-suit-half-shorts.
His profile also provides a great sneak peek into the lives of ‘MSN’ as the trio seem to spend quite a lot of time with each other both on and off the pitch. However, beware, most of his posts come with Brazilian and Portuguese captions, and you might not always understand what he’s trying to say.
#6 Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez and his fondness for his dogs recently came into the public eye when Arsenal unveiled two new banners ahead of their fixture against Burnley this season honouring the Chilean and his two dogs Atom and Humber. While his love for his dogs may have been news to many, anyone who has been following him on Instagram knows its nothing new. His profile is primarily an ode to his beloved pets, two adorable golden retrievers with a smattering of images from his time with Arsenal and Chile.
Follow the dynamic attacker’s account to share in his love of dogs and animals alike and don’t miss out on the video of him taking a walk with Atom and Humber to a Phil Collins song. There’s even a picture of his boots with the names of the dogs stitched in!
#5 Mario Balotelli
The ever-controversial Mario Balotelli is definitely one of the best football stars to follow on Instagram. The Italian is as interesting on the field as he is off it. Barring the usual promotional images for Puma, his account combines a mixture of private escapades and team-related imagery.
The Nice forward is not averse to the occasional throwback as he recently uploaded a picture of himself in the infamous ‘Why always me?’ shirt.
Balotelli also enjoys a healthy fascination for memes uploading any that catches his fancy and an inclination to dabble in the ‘filter’ arts.
#4 Cristiano Ronaldo
Ballon d’Or winner and FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo is obviously on Instagram, and his account is an accurate microcosm of his own life – all CR7 all the time. Apart from the countless pictures of him with awards and trophies, he devotes much of his social media space to his latest Nike merchandise, no doubt a part of his agreement since the Portuguese international has over 88 million followers.
Apart from plenty of pictures of his son, Ronaldo even has a picture of himself watching TV with his pet cat!
#3 Lionel Messi
Leo Messi just seems like the nicest guy and his Instagram profile is no different. The Argentine skipper is never without his trademark smile in any of his pictures as he poses with his family and giant dog.
Messi even debuted his blonde hair and his recently dyed brown hair on the social media platform. You absolutely must check out pictures of him with his son and the one of him having coffee with the Champions League trophy.
#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic
If just his name couldn’t convince you to start following him on Instagram, then here’s why you should. First, he uploaded a video of himself standing in his boxers in the freezing weather in Sweden where he proceeded to make a snow angel! The remainder of his account is mainly pictures of him looking majestic while there are also images of him at training, with friends and the brands he promotes.
#1 Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba, the king of social media, in the footballing community at least, is the man to follow on Instagram. After all, it’s where he shows off his radical hairdos for the first time. Before his recent emoji hair was on full display against Liverpool, it was on his social media profile. The French midfielder invites his fans to live his life with him as he uploads snippets of his daily activities quite regularly.
His account is full of brand promotions and dance bits as he seems to be having a ball being one of the most expensive football players in the world.
