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Hey you !
When you think of the Olympic Games, you think of a time when sport is a hot topic. And precisely, for the occasion, Passion Media reveals the ranking of the 10 most followed sportsmen on Instagram, according to the ranking made by Edigitalagency. Teaser: if we tell you that it is men and footballers who are largely majority, you guess the list?
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ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC : 48.5 MILLION FOLLOWERS
Under the pseudonym @iamzlatanibrahimovic, Zlatan now has over 48 million followers in his Instagram community. He shares the behind-the-scenes of his life as a footballer, meetings, training sessions, matches… and medical appointments (sometimes with an offbeat tone widely appreciated by his fans).
KYLIAN MBAPPÉ: 54.4 MILLION FOLLOWERS
PSG striker and world soccer star, Kilian Mbappé is an unstoppable sportsman both on the field and on the web. At just 22 years old, his Instagram account already has more than 54 million followers (the equivalent of more than 80% of the French). He shares a lot of news about his daily life as a footballer, while remaining quite discreet about his personal life.
RONALDINHO : 56.6 MILLION FOLLOWERS
Now retired sportsman, Ronaldinho (known as Ronnie) remains very active on social networks and very followed by his community. He now has a community of over 56 million followers on Instagram. He shares daily content about his travels, his partnerships with major brands, and sports in general.
DAVID BECKHAM: 67.4 MILLION FOLLOWERS
He is one of the first to have adopted the codes of social networks. And this is seen by his community of over 67 million people. He shares his daily life, his family life, but also regularly embodies his role as ambassador for UNICEF. This is actually the main link present on the bio of his Instagram account.
LEBRON JAMES: 91.6 MILLION FOLLOWERS
Under the pseudonym @kingjames, the Los Angeles Lakers player is the inratable personality for anyone interested in the NBA. He speaks about his daily life as a sportsman but is also very committed, especially on the issue of civil rights and education.
VIRAT KOHLI: 137 MILLION FOLLOWERS
A little less known in France, he is however a real icon in India. Virat Kohli is perceived by many in this world as a living god of cricket. He accumulates more than 137 million followers, and thus exceeds the vast majority of footballers and NBA players, yet widely present in all rankings. The sportsman testifies with a lot of humility of his daily life, an approach widely appreciated by his fans.
NEYMAR: 155 MILLION FOLLOWERS
We find in number 3 of the ranking, the inevitable Neymar, with more than 155 million followers. This Brazilian player, now playing for PSG, communicates as well on his life as a sportsman as on his personal life (with a zest less humility than Virat, about which we spoke to you above).
LIONEL MESSI: 233 MILLION FOLLOWERS
He is perceived by many as the best player in the history of football. On Instagram, he also makes sparks. He has more than 233 million followers and has just beaten Cristiano Ronaldo’s record with a post exceeding 20 million likes.
THE ROCK: 254 MILLION FOLLOWERS
Dayne Johnson (49 years), aka The Rock. This former American soccer player is best known for his wrestling career and for his mountains of muscles. He also multiplies experiences, with notably an appearance in the cinema, the launch of a brand of Tequila, and the realization of numerous partnerships with world famous brands. He also raises awareness of physical effort and a sporty lifestyle on a daily basis.
CRISTIANO RONALDO: 315 MILLION FOLLOWERS
We don’t quote him anymore. Cristiano Ronaldo is by far the most followed sportsman of all time, on Instagram, and on all social networks. This 36-year-old Portuguese has become a true icon. On Instagram, his account accumulates more than 300 million Followers. In the same line as the others, he shares on Instagram his daily life of footballer but also his family life.
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Verdict? Soccer is the most represented sport, especially with the presence of a majority of PSG players. We also notice the presence of wrestling and cricket, including personalities (The Rock, Virat Kohli) who accumulate between them almost 400 million followers. What about other sports? Some sportsmen are starting to make a big place for themselves, we’ll come back to that very soon.
