Top 10 sports stars on Instagram in 2022

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal); Instagram followers: 469+ million; Sport: Football. Ronaldo is the most popular sports athlete on Instagram. He started his career with Sporting Lisbon and is now back at Manchester United FC after an extraordinary stint with Real Madrid FC and Juventus FC.

2. Lionel Messi (Argentina); Instagram followers: 351+ million; Sport: Football. He started his professional career at the tender age of 16 with FC Barcelona and is currently playing for the Paris Saint Germain (PSG). He has won his 7th Ballon d’Or in 2021. His tremendous soccer skills and humble personality have earned him fans around the world.

3. Dwayne Douglas Johnson (US); Instagram followers: 330+ million; Sport: Wrestling. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Johnson, also known by his ring name The Rock, wrestled for WWE for eight years before pursuing an acting career. He has proved his merit in many fields: Wrestling, American football, acting and movie production. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors.

4. Virat Kohli (India); Instagram followers: 209+ million; Sport: Cricket. Kohli is one of the top cricket players in the world adored by billions of fans. He is often considered one of the best batsmen of his era and is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-format batsmen of all time. Between 2013 and 2022, he captained India cricket team in 213 matches across all 3 formats. With 40 wins out of 68 matches, he is one of the most successful Indian Test captains.

5. Neymar Jr (Brazil); Instagram followers: 176+ million; Sport: Football. One of the most-followed footballers on Instagram, fans love to watch this super talented footballer's fashion style and football goals. He holds the record as the most expensive player ever and currently plays for PSG.

6. LeBron James (US); Instagram followers: 128+ million; Sport: Basketball. This popular and wildly successful NBA star is currently playing for Los Angeles Lakers. Off the court, James has accumulated more wealth and fame from numerous endorsement contracts.

7. David Beckham (England); Instagram followers: 74+ million; Sport: Football. A global ambassador of football, Beckham is considered to be a British cultural icon. He is one of the most followed British celebrities on Instagram. He made his professional club career debut with Manchester United in 1992 at the age of 17 and his England debut in 1996. Beckham has been hailed as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, as well as one of the best set-piece specialists of all time. He is the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City.

8. Kylian Mbappe (France); Instagram followers: 72+ million; Sport: Football. Mbappe made his professional debut with Ligue 1 club Monaco in 2015, aged 16 and now plays as a striker for Paris Saint Germain FC (PSG). He is considered one of the world’s fastest and most astute goal scorers making him one of the most followed footballers on Instagram.

9. Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira (Brazil); Instagram followers: 67+ million; Sport: Football. 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. Considered one of the greatest of all time, Ronaldinho is still one of the most-followed football personalities on Instagram.

10. Marcelo Vieira (Brazil); Instagram followers: 57+ million; Sport: Football. Loved by millions of fans, Marcelo currently plays for Real Madrid FC and the Brazilian football team. Known for his offensive capabilities, trickery, and technical qualities, Marcelo is often regarded as one of the greatest left-backs of all time.