Sports ignite passions because they are a source of health, personal achievement, and positivity. Therefore, it is no surprise that the leading figures in this field attract large audiences. But who are the most followed athletes on social media?
Well, out of 20, 17 are soccer players, two are basketball players, and one is a cricket player. All are men. Regarding their nationalities, there is a significant variety: Argentina, Portugal, Sweden, France, Egypt, Wales, Spain, the United States, Colombia, Brazil, India, and Uruguay. Many use social media simply to show their daily lives, although the most famous among them also take advantage of these platforms to advertise brands, thereby accumulating substantial amounts. In total, the athletes at the top garner more than 4,662.6 million followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Without further ado, we present the 10 most popular athletes on social media (data as of 05/05/2025). If you wish to see the rest of the list, you will need to scroll to the end of our article 😉.
Even if you do not like soccer, the reality is that this soccer player does not go unnoticed by anyone, and certainly not in the realm of social media. We are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo, who with 939,400,000 followers, with an increase of 3.45% over 2024, is the athlete leading the social network rankings worldwide. He has an intense online life through his Instagram account (with over 653 million followers), Facebook (with over 171 million fans), and Twitter (with over 115.4 million followers), and even owns an online underwear store.
With a low profile and high positive image, the renowned world champion often shares numerous posts on Instagram, where he exceeds 505 million followers. Despite having no official Twitter account, with over 117 million fans on Facebook, he reaches a total of 622 million followers (a 0.65% increase over the previous ranking edition), remaining in second place among the most popular athletes.
Virat Kohli, the famous cricket player from India, remains in third position as of 2025, holding the bronze in this ranking with his 389.7 million followers (+2.10%). Since December 2021, he has been the most popular cricket player on Instagram, with 271 million followers. On Twitter, he has 67.7 million followers, and on Facebook, 51 million. He also has his own charitable foundation.
Another of the most well-known football players is the Brazilian Neymar. He currently plays for Santos F.C. and has over 64.1 million followers on Twitter, over 91 million fans on Facebook, and more than 229 million followers on Instagram. A total of 384.1 million followers. Need we say more?
Basketball draws crowds in the United States, and LeBron James, also known as “King” James, is one of the country’s most famous players. Currently, he plays for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA), and between his followers on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, he accumulates a total of 239 million followers.
Considered by many fans as the best current soccer player, the French player Kylian Mbappé was also a trending topic in the World Cup, as he scored 3 goals in the final against Argentina. However, that was not enough to secure the trophy. At only 24 years old, he was the top scorer of Qatar 2022 and is one of the most sought-after players worldwide. He currently plays as a forward for Real Madrid.
Between his fans on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, he surpasses 154.8 million followers, which represents a 7.87% increase over the previous year’s edition, earning him a rise from eighth to sixth place.
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira, better known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is one of Brazil’s greatest soccer idols. Although he is currently retired from elite sports, he collects a total of 154.5 million followers across Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. This year he descends one position in our list.
Beckham is one of the athletes with the highest media exposure worldwide. In addition to frequently posting on social media, he often makes advertising deals with various brands and maintains a very active business life. Dropping from seventh to eighth in the ranking, the former English soccer player amasses a total of 145.1 million followers between Facebook and Instagram, as he does not have an official Twitter account.
This soccer player of French nationality and Algerian origin made headlines in the last World Cup as, apart from not participating in the tournament due to an injury, he also announced that he would no longer be part of the French national team, where he played as a forward. He currently plays for the Al-Ittihad Jeddah Club in Saudi Arabia. Karim also succeeds on social media, accumulating a total of 142.2 million followers on his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts.
Sergio Ramos is another well-known Spanish soccer player, currently a defender for C.F. Monterrey in Mexico’s First Division, finishing our top 10 list of popular athletes. Across his Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts, he gathers over 125 million fans.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Δ