The 10 players with the most followers on Instagram in 2023
Cristiano Ronaldo is still the player with the highest number of followers on Instagram, with a wide margin over other players
In many ways, 2023 was a remarkable year, and in the world of football, the most notable fact was perhaps the emergence of Saudi Arabian clubs with the signings of some of the top players on the planet. If Cristiano Ronaldo was announced in the last days of 2022, this year, new stars have headed to Saudi clubs, and some of them are in the Top 10 list of players with the highest number of followers on Instagram – the social media platform with the highest number of interactions.
In addition to Saudi Arabia, the United States and Brazil also received their share of stars with elite status not only on the pitch, but also on social media. Lionel Messi and Luís Suarez – who played the season for Grêmio – arrived in Miami, while Marcelo returned to Fluminense – runner-up in the Club World Cup – and James Rodriguez joined São Paulo.
Check out the list of the 10 players with the most followers on Instagram:
10. Paulo Dybala (AS Roma) – 57,9M
The Argentine, who transferred from Juventus to Roma in 2022 and began 2023 as FIFA World Cup champion with his country’s national team, is the 10th player with the most followers on Instagram.
9. Paul Pogba (Juventus) – 61,5M
Of Juventus’ 17 Serie A games this season, Pogba, plagued by recurring injuries, only played 52 minutes – equivalent to 3% of Juventus’ time on the pitch – but his spells at Manchester United and Juventus, in addition to his career with French National Team, gave the Frenchman this high number of followers.
8. Sergio Ramos (Sevilla) – 62,5M
Back in Spain after a one-season spell at Paris Saint-Germain, Sergio returned to Sevilla – the club where he started playing football before moving to Real Madrid in 2005. At the Spanish giants, he won titles and fame, which put him in 8th place among the players with the most followers on Instagram.
7. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 63,3M
Currently Liverpool FC’s biggest idol, Salah is sure to perform well season after season. This becomes a boost for the Egyptian to have a large legion of fans around the world, who place him in 7th position among the 10+ players with the most followers.
In addition to Liverpool, where he has been since 2017, Salah played for Roma, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Basel and El Mokawloon, from Egypt.
6. Marcelo (Fluminense) – 66,3M
One of the most successful players in the history of football, Marcelo returned to Brazil to play for Fluminense, the club where he started his career in 2005/2006. And right in his first season, Marcelo won a State Championship and a Copa Libertadores, which further expands the former Real Madrid full-back’s trophy cabinet.
5. Karim Benzema (Al Ittihad) – 76,1M
After a successful era at Real Madrid, the Frenchman became the main signing of Al Ittihad – one of the four clubs boosted by the investment fund that aims to make Saudi football one of the centers of world sport. Benzema’s follower base has grown even further since the striker left the Spanish giants for the Middle East.
4. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint-Germain) – 110,7M
Recognized as one of the main stars in world football, Mbappé has become the target of Real Madrid’s greed in recent seasons, at the same time that millionaire Paris Saint-Germain sees him as the center of a power project. Also a protagonist in the French national team – where he won the World Cup in 2018 and almost repeated the feat in 2022 – Mbappé tends to continue growing in the digital world. He is currently the 4th player with the highest number of followers.
3. Neymar (Al Hilal) – 217,3M
The main star of Brazilian football in recent years, Neymar is always in the spotlight both for what he does on the pitch and because of marketing news and gossip websites. Regardless of this, Neymar is the 3rd player with the most followers on Instagram. In 2023, he transferred to Al Hilal unexpectedly, but the serious injury suffered by the Brazilian reduced the news about him a little.
2. Leo Messi (Inter Miami) – 495,8M
For many, the GOAT. For others, Cristiano Ronaldo’s main opponent. More discreet than his competitor, Leo Messi has almost half a billion followers on Instagram. In 2023, after his spell at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi moved on to a different chapter: playing in the United States. With this decision, he gained a legion of followers who normally had their attention focused on traditional North American leagues, such as the NBA, NFL and NHL.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr FC) – 615,5M
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be the biggest football brand on Instagram among players. Even at Al Nassr, the Portuguese continues to score goals and accumulate achievements in his brilliant career. In the 23/24 season alone, Cristiano played 23 times for Al Nassr and scored 21 goals. A machine for scoring goals and winning over digital fans around the world.
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