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Footballers, especially the most popular and successful ones, have a huge fan following and a massive presence on the internet. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook provide a platform for footballers to connect with their fans and promote their sponsors.
With millions of followers, footballers have a significant impact on social media, and their posts, comments, and opinions can go viral within seconds.
Footballers' popularity is further enhanced by the extensive coverage of their matches, interviews, and news updates on various websites, blogs, and forums.
Football is one of the most popular sports on the planet and some of the most famous footballers are some of the most recognizable faces on the planet.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the most Googled footballers in 2023.
#5 Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) - 3.2 million
Robert Lewandowski is one of the greatest strikers of his generation. The Polish icon left Bayern Munich to join Barcelona last summer. He has been in phenomenal goalscoring form and has won the European Golden Shoe in the last two seasons.
The 34-year-old has also been a top contender in the Ballon d'Or race in recent years. Lewandowski's success on the pitch has translated to a massive level of popularity away from it. Lewandowski has been Googled 3.2 million times in 2023.
#4 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 8.5 million
Thanks to the phenomenal success he has found right from the early years of his career, Kylian Mbappe is one of the most popular footballers on the planet. He has found it nearly impossible to stay out of the news and is one of the most followed footballers on the planet.
Mbappe's future was the talk of the town last summer as he reportedly came close to leaving Paris Saint-Germain. However, he turned around and extended his contract with the Ligue 1 outfit. Mbappe continues to be PSG's talisman and has been in prolific goalscoring form this term.
Mbappe has been Googled 8.5 million times in 2023.
#3 Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain) - 9.2 million
Love him or hate him, you just can't ignore him. Neymar Jr. is one of the most technically gifted footballers on the planet and has had an illustrious career. The 31-year-old is currently the joint-top goalscorer for Brazil in international football alongside Pele.
Neymar is one of the most popular footballers in the world and he rakes in a fortune via endorsement and sponsorship deals. He has a huge fan following and people are always checking to see what the tricky winger is up to.
He has been Googled 9.2 million times so far in 2023.
#2 Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain) - 13.2 million
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest footballer of all time. He fired Argentina to World Cup glory in late 2022 and won the Golden Ball awarded to the best player of the tournament. The 35-year-old has won a record seven Ballon d'Or awards in his career.
Messi is currently at PSG and has been in phenomenal form for his club this season. The Argentinian legend is one of the most popular footballers of all time and fans all across the world follow his every move with great interest. Messi has been Googled 13.2 million times this year.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr) - 17.4 million
No surprises here. Cristiano Ronaldo has been in the news extensively over the course of the current season. His explosive interview with Piers Morgan in November blew up largely for the wrong reasons.
Ronaldo criticized his then-club Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag and his teammates and the interview sparked debates all over the world. He subsequently left Manchester United via mutual agreement and his future was the subject of a great deal of speculation at that point.
Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr shortly after. He has been the most Googled footballer in the world since the turn of the year.
