Top 5 most followed footballers on Instagram

The omnipresence of social media has made it extremely important for the sports stars to engage with fans across all major platforms in order to gather a bigger audience to expand their brand value.

Being active on social media can increase any star's popularity to a next level. Neymar Jr. is one such footballer whose online presence brought him the fame that he enjoys now. No doubt he is an exceptional player with great potential but the role played by his online presence is undeniable.

David Beckham is a player enjoying enormous popularity even after years of his retirement. He is a fashion icon who is looked up by many people for latest trends and we cannot deny the role his Instagram presence played in this.

Right on this note, let's have a look at the top five most followed players on Instagram.

NOTE- Stats accurate as of 26 March 2018.

---

#5 James Rodriguez

James Rodriguez becomes a household name after FIFA World Cup 2014.

The Colombian international, James Rodriguez has 35.4 million followers on Instagram making him the fifth most followed footballer on Instagram.

Although he was having a decent career earlier, it was after he won the Golden Boot in the FIFA World Cup 2014 that he became a household name. His brilliant performances in the tournament earned him a move to Real Madrid which further enhanced his reputation.

James is now playing on-loan in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and has been performing brilliantly there.

#4 David Beckham

David Beckham is a style icon among the youth.

The former Real Madrid and Manchester United legend, David Beckham has 43.3 million followers on Instagram putting him in the fourth position on this list.

The former Manchester United player was one the best midfielders of his generation and is regarded as one of best free-kick takers ever. He is a style icon among youth as well and they look at him for the latest trends.

Beckham may have retired from professional football long back but his popularity among the fans still remains the same.

#3 Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the best footballers ever.

He may not be as active on social media as other players on this list, but that doesn't stop the Argentine magician from getting to 89 million Instagram followers.

Lionel Messi is regarded as one of the greatest ever footballers and he has achieved every possible club honor. He has won the Ballon d'Or five times and is the highest ever goalscorer in La Liga.

Despite being one of the two most iconic and influential footballers of the current generations, he slightly lags behind his former teammate, Neymar Jr. on this list.

#2 Neymar

Neymar has more followers than Lionel Messi.

With 91.2 million Instagram followers, Neymar is at number two on this list. He is among the world's best footballers right now and is touted to win the Ballon d'Or after the Messi-Ronaldo era.

Regarded as one of the most stylish footballers, the Brazillian posts more frequently than other players on this list and that certainly helped him in this case. He posts everything about his footballing achievements, glamorous life as well as his personal stuff.

Neymar recently witnessed a lot of growth in his following and his move to PSG certainly played a vital role in it.

#1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of this list.

The Real Madrid and Portugal attacker, Cristiano Ronaldo has 123 million followers on Instagram making him the most followed footballer on Instagram.

Five times Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo is one the most loved footballers and his popularity will not come as a surprise to many. He regularly posts on Instagram and also shares his personal life with his fans.

Ronaldo has endorsement agreements with a number of brands and he uses his online presence to advertise them.

There could be a never-ending argument about which of two - Lionel Messi o Cristiano Ronaldo - is the king of the field but, the Portuguese is clearly the king of Instagram.