Athletes are among the most followed people on social media. The Instagram craze is just as unceasing as love for the game today.

Some users are still working to increase their following on this social media account. Still, the athletes have racked up many followers thanks to their year-round dedication and hard work. Due to its ability to store photos and videos, Instagram is more flexible than other social media platforms.

Not only the players who play soccer are in the list of most followed athlete but cricketer and basketball players are also included.
Source : youtube

Since most individuals now live online, athletes mainly utilize Instagram to engage with fans and highlight the endorsements that have helped them raise their visibility.

List of The Most Followed Athlete on Instagram 2022

PlayersNumber of Followers
Marcelo Vierira59.7 Million
Ronaldinho (Ronaldo de Assis Moreira)68.8 Million
Kylian Mbappe74.6 Million
David Beckham75.9 Million
LeBron James137 Million
Neymar jr187 Million
Virat Kohli225 Million
Dwayne Douglas Johnson350 Million
Lionel Messi382 Million
Cristiano Ronaldo506 Million

10. Marcelo Vierira 59.7 Million Followers

Marcelo, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Super League Greece club Olympiacos.
Source : superstarsbio

Marcelo, an Olympiacos left winger, is listed as one of the athletes with the most Instagram followers. He has posted 2,730 times, has 59.7 million followers, and has followed 1994 individuals.

He and his sister, Julia Vieira, were raised in a terrible environment as children. Despite his circumstances, young Marcelo aspired to become successful in the world. The Brazilian joined a neighborhood futsal club and participated in a 5-a-side team. San Pedro, his grandfather, gave Marcelo money to play football.

The future fullback began competing for the Brazilian team Fluminese at 13. He had to start on the junior squad, which helped him perfect his talents and prepare for the senior team. The native of Rio de Janeiro began his professional career in 2005 after being promoted to the first team.

9. Ronaldinho (Ronaldo de Assis Moreira) 68.8 Million Followers

Ronaldinho is a retired Brazilian professional football player who became popular for his fancy way of acrobatic football playing especially when he played for Barcelona FC and Milan FC.
Source : transfermarkt

In the list of the most followed athletes, Ronaldinho comes in 9th place; 68.7 million followers have followed him; on his Instagram handle, he has posted 3043 photos and followed 560 individuals.

He was a member of Brazil's 2002 World Cup-winning team and is a player admired for his technique, trickery, overhead kicks, and dribbling. In 2002, while competing in his first World Cup, he beat England in the quarterfinals with the game-winning goal. He was a member of the offensive trio that made the Brazilian team one of the most formidable in world football, together with Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

Ronaldinho, the child of a part-time player, became interested in the sport at a very young age and, by the time he was eight, had begun participating in youth club games.

When he was 13 years old, he scored all 23 goals in a 23-0 win over a local team, which first attracted the media's attention. He was regarded as a rising star and made his senior team debut in the 1998 Copa Libertadores. In 2001, he agreed to a five-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain of France. He actively contributed to his team winning the 2002 World Cup while he was a member of the Brazilian team.

Later, he moved to Spain and joined FC Barcelona, where he enjoyed enormous success for the next few years, taking back-to-back FIFA World Player of the Year trophies in 2004 and 2005.

8. Kylian Mbappe 74.6 Million Followers

Kylian Mbappe has agreed to stay at Paris Saint-Germain after again turning down the chance to join Real Madrid.
Source : independent

Kylin Mbappe has skillfully positioned himself to appear on all the top pages. He is one of the eight most famous athletes on Instagram, where he has uploaded 1190 photographs and individually follows 386 users. His account has a total of 74.5 million followers.

The French football player Kylian Mbappe is best known for his efforts during the 2018 "FIFA World Cup." Mbappe made history by becoming the "World Cup's" youngest French goal scorer. He scored four goals to round off his "World Cup" campaign, for which he received the "FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award." Arsene Wenger, a former player, called him "a fantastic football talent."

He has frequently been likened to players like Pele and Thierry Henry in the media. Along with his superb dribbling abilities, Mbappe is renowned for his ball-handling speed, ingenuity, and agility. In 2017, Mbappe signed a €180 million contract with the French football team, making him the second-most expensive player in the world.

7. David Beckham 75.9 Million Followers

Beckham’s final major tournament was the 2006 World Cup. He played a big part in getting England to the quarter-finals, scoring a free-kick winner in the round of 16 against Ecuador.
Source : cnn

The legendary football star David Beckham is followed by 75.9 million people on Instagram, where he has followed 582 people and shared 1588 photographs.

David Edward Alan Beckham and Sandra Georgina had a second child, David Beckham, on May 2, 1975. David grew up in Leytonstone, an area of East London. He began playing football at a young age and was so passionate about it that he always imagined himself as a professional when he grew up.

Beckham joined Manchester United in 1991 after beginning his young playing career with the neighborhood Ridgeway Rovers. He joined the senior team in 1992, around the same time as the other infamous "Fergie's Fledglings," and quickly established himself as a starter in right midfield, taking Mark Hughes' No. 7 jersey. Beckham established himself as a household celebrity by scoring a lob from the halfway line against Wimbledon in his Premier League debut in 1996.

6. LeBron James 137 Million Followers

He is a visionary, a natural athlete, and he moves with the force of a cyclone.
Source : salon

LeBron James, also known as King James, is a professional basketball player from the United States who has risen to the top of Instagram's list of most followed athletes. He has 137 million followers on his Instagram handle, where he has posted 2401 photos and followed 401 individuals.

As one of the all-time greats in basketball, "King James" keeps adding to his legacy.

James was drafted for his first Olympic Games as a player under 18 in 2004 after being drafted in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, located only 50 miles from where he was born. James later earned the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Richard Jefferson started as a small forward. Therefore, he was limited to cameo appearances off the bench. Still, he did participate in most of the USA's victory over Angola in the final group match.

James only saw action for three minutes in the team's shocking semifinal loss to the eventual champions Argentina and seven minutes in the bronze medal playoff victory over Lithuania.

5. Neymar jr 187 Million Followers

Neymar Junior could find himself on the market this summer after five years in Paris.
Source : caughtoffside

Neymar Jr. is the most desired player with 187 million followers on Instagram; he has posted 5380 photos and follows 1704 individuals on his personal Instagram handle.

He is a Brazilian football player who competes for Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazilian national team. He is named one of the best players in the world. Like many other football players in Brazil, Neymar began his career as a street player. However, his father, a former professional football player, encouraged him to take the sport seriously and pursue a career. When he was just 11 years old, Neymar began playing for "FC Santos" in the youth division. He was accepted into the Real Madrid youth academy, but after being offered a higher salary, he chose to remain in Brazil.

Neymar scored stunning goals throughout his stay at "Santos," making his skills the talk of the town. The top clubs in the world competed to sign him as a result. He joined "Barcelona" in 2013 and quickly made an impression before the Catalan club ultimately won the Triple Crown in 2015.

He developed into a vital member of the Brazilian national team throughout his career and assisted his team in reaching the semifinals of the 2014 "World Cup" held in Brazil. Undoubtedly one of the best classic players in the world, Neymar is poised to go down in history as one of the greatest players of his generation.

4. Virat Kohli 225 Million Followers

Virat Kohli and his team were viciously trolled after their shock defeat in the T20 World Cup
Source : bbc

Virat Kohli, an Indian cricketer, is ranked as the fourth-most followed athlete on Instagram, with 225 million followers overall. Only 262 people have followed him despite his 1473 photo postings.

Kohli first gained notoriety when he guided the Indian U-19 cricket team to victory in the 2008 U-19 Cricket World Cup. He soon made his debut for the Indian squad in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in August 2008. with 27 test victories, 12 victories abroad, and the highest winning percentage as captain in both Tests and ODIs.

Virat emerged as one of the most valued Indian captains in Test cricket. In 2016, Kohli came in at number eight on ESPN's list of the most well-known athletes in the world. Virat is the only active player to have a stand in Delhi's Firoz Shah Kotla stadium named after him in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indian cricket.

3. Dwayne Douglas Johnson 350 Million Followers

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a retired pro wrestler in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).
Source : sportytell

The former wrestler Dwayne Douglas Johnson is a current actor who gained achievements with his hard work as a wrestler and is listed as the third most followed athlete on Instagram. He has 350 million followers, has tracked 621 individuals, and has made 7009 posts.

Dwayne Johnson, better known by his ring moniker "The Rock," is an American actor and professional wrestler whose charm and athleticism helped him succeed in both professions. Johnson was from a wrestling-related family. In the 1960s and 1970s, "High Chief" Peter Maivia, his maternal grandfather, made his professional debut. Rocky Johnson, better known by his ring name "Soulman," was Johnson's father and a boxer who competed in American regional wrestling.

In 1974, George Foreman used him as a sparring partner while he trained to face Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle." The younger Johnson, though, initially favored the mat over the gridiron. He was a standout high school athlete on the University of Miami football team that won the 1991 NCAA Championship (Bachelor of General Studies, 1995). He went to wrestling when injuries ended his career in the Canadian Football League.

2. Lionel Messi 382 Million Followers

 Lionel Messi Is a famous world football legend,  athlete, professional footballer and a model.
Source : austinemedia

Lionel Messi is the second on the list and one of the most astounding players. He has a total of 381 million followers on his Instagram handles. He has posted 951 photos and followed 288 individuals.

Messi's love of sports began at a young age when he spent a lot of time playing with his older brothers, Rodrigo and Matias, as well as his cousins, Maximiliano and Emmanuel Biancucchi, who went on to play professionally in football. Messi moved to Spain to join Barcelona at 13, and Barcelona agreed to cover the cost of his medical care.

Messi joined the local club at four, where his father coached him. However, his maternal grandmother, Celia, significantly impacted his development as a player because she frequently accompanied Messi to practice and games.

He lost his maternal grandmother when he was 11 years old, and her passing deeply saddened him. Since then, he has honored his maternal grandmother by pointing to the sky while celebrating his accomplishments as a devout Catholic.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo 506 Million Followers

Ronaldo signed with English powerhouse Manchester United in 2003.
Source : theringer

Cristiano Ronaldo, with 506 million followers, enjoys the highest sports celebrity status on Instagram. He has posted 3406 photos and has followed 523 people personally.

Ronaldo is a powerful player on the field. He started as a right winger before transitioning into a forward with a free-flowing attacking style. He could enchant opponents with a bit of sleight of the foot that created enough room for holes in opposing defenses.

He joined English club Manchester United in 2003 after a successful season with Sporting that piqued the interest of Europe's top clubs. He became famous immediately and was considered one of the top forwards in the league. His best year with United was the 2007–08 campaign, during which he scored 42 League and Cup goals and won the Golden Shoe award for being Europe's top scorer with 31 League goals.

Ronaldo achieved the FIFA World Player of the Year award for his outstanding 2007–08 campaign after helping United win the Champions League in May 2008. Additionally, under his leadership, United made it to the 2009 Champions League final, where FC Barcelona defeated them.