Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Neymar, David Beckham or Virat Kohli – which sports influencer can earn the most from a single Instagram post?
Elite sportsmen – and they usually are men – transcend the fields and courts they play on to become revered as celebrities and now social influencers. Not least financially – frequently branching out into their own fashion or perfume brands, while putting the issues they support front and centre of their feed.
Let’s look at the top 10 sports influencers, as ranked by Luxurylaunches, and look at how much their analysists reckon they could potentially earn per post.
10. Mohamed Salah, 39.5 million Instagram followers, US$180,000 per post
This Egyptian professional footballer famed for his finishing, dribbling and speed plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool. He is known as the jewel of Egypt and has many fans all over the world – but he himself is a big fan of sportsman Muhammad Ali.
9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 43.3 million Instagram followers, US$200,000 per post
The Super Swede took the Premier League by storm with Manchester United. The man is such a national hero in Sweden that his name has been added to the Swedish Dictionary as a verb that means to dominate or do something with extreme talent.
8. Gareth Bale, 43.3 million Instagram followers, US$200,000 per post
This six-foot-one tall footballer made his professional debut at the age of 16 and now plays for Spanish club Real Madrid and also the national team of Wales. He is nicknamed “the golfer” as he loves playing the game.
7. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, 51.5 million Instagram followers, US$238,000 per post
This natural talent started playing soccer at 7 and earned himself the nickname “Ronaldinho”. Though he can’t be called one of the best players in the world anymore, he surely ruled the last decade especially during his time at Barcelona.
6. Virat Kohli, 64.2 million Instagram followers, US$296,000 per post
Indian cricket player Kohli is an undeniable superstar who draws crazy attention from fans and media all around the world. Check the number of followers on Instagram for proof.
5. LeBron James, 66.7 million Instagram followers, US$307,000 per post
King James, aka LeBron James, could easily be one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. He plays for Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association and sports a tattoo saying “Chosen 1”.
4. David Beckham, 63.2 million Instagram followers, US$339,000 per post
Everyone knows what a big star the man was when he was followed only for the sport he played. But over the years Beckham has struck a chord with fans as a family man and an amazing father who reveals endearing aspects of his life on his Instagram feeds.
3. Lionel Messi, 115.6 million Instagram followers, US$695,000 per post
Who could’ve thought that the boy with a growth hormone deficiency at a young age would be regarded as one of the greatest players of the modern generation? He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team, and holds a world record for winning Fifa World Player of the Year four times in a row.
2. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, 185 million Instagram followers, US$704,000 per post
Neymar is certainly one of Brazil’s most brilliant players. His impressive soccer abilities at an early age have earned him a massive fan following all over the world and four straight player of the year award wins made him one of Brazil’s most popular public figures.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, 224.8 million Instagram followers, US$889,000 per post
725 senior career goals, the first player in history to win four European Golden Shoes, 31 trophies in his career, including six league titles, five European Cups and one European Championship and more have made this man the living legend that he is. The world of football is forever changed by this Portuguese soccer superstar. A true star in every sense of the term.
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From the English Premier League to America’s NBA and India’s national cricket captain, these elite sports stars have millions of followers on Instagram, but would anyone really pay them up to US$1 million to make a post?