Social media is one of the most prominent and influential platforms for fans to interact with their favorites athletes and get the latest updates. More interestingly, many celebrities also develop strong connections with their fans through regular updates, QA sessions, and responding to some interesting comments. Therefore, we can easily claim that social media has allowed celebrities and their fans to develop a great connection and communicate when they feel so.
The same applies to athletes who are on social media. Their social media presence ensures their fans know what is happening in their surroundings. Moreover, they can talk about their performance, personal matters, and future plans. All those players who do so have thousands of fans through them, and they increase their social media influence. This influence keeps them in the news whether they win or lose, are in a team or not, have been performing recently or not, or whether they will attend an upcoming event or not. Another interesting fact is that this influence allows them to earn handsomely without playing.
In the following lines, we will explore the most influential athletes on social media and number of followers they have on various platforms:
Which sport is the most famous on social media?
Interestingly, the world’s most popular sport has athletes with the most significant followers, and even celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Selena Gomez, and Dwayne Johnson are behind. These two players are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have surpassed the world’s most renowned personalities.
We have made a list with the followers to identify the most influential social media celebrities and athletes. So, let us explore it!
Cristiano Ronaldo
When discussing the most famous social media influencers who are also athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo is number one on this list. He has over 605 million followers, and no other celebrity can even touch him. The reason is that Ronaldo keeps his social media active with all the information provided occasionally. He also communicates with his fans randomly and provides the details of his coming assignments.
Lionel Messi
Another soccer player on the list is Messi, and he is in the second position with over 486 million followers. His presence on Instagram and other social media platforms is incredibly beneficial, even for his team and clubs. The best example is Messi’s announcement to join Inter Miami. Before this announcement, Inter Miami had only 900,000 followers, and when we explore this following Messi’s statement, it reached 15.2 million.
Virat Kohli
The statistics confirm that cricket is the second most popular sport worldwide on social media. Therefore, we do not find it surprising when we see Virat Kohli in the list of most influential social media athletes in the 3rd place. He is considered the best batter globally and the most famous cricketer on social media. He has over 258 million followers worldwide.
Neymar Jr.
Another soccer player on the list is Neymar Jr. He has over 21 million followers. One reason for his prominence on social media is that he belongs to Brazil, with the most enthusiastic football fan following globally. Moreover, his on-ground performance as a player and social media postings keep him relevant on social media. Other football players ranked in this list of followers are Kylian Mbappe and Ronaldinho. They have 103 and 74.5 million followers on Instagram.
Lebron James
When discussing sports in the United States other than soccer, we have some of the most expensive and influential leagues in which NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL are included. However, NBA players are the most effective on social media. The best example is Lebron James, who has over 158 million followers on Instagram. His followers confirm he is fifth on the list of most followed athletes.
Serene Williams
When discussing athletes, how can we ignore women? And this list of female athletes finds Serena Williams at the top. Her persistent performance on tennis courts has kept her relevant for over a decade. She has over 13 million followers and keeps her fans informed through her personal life, tournaments, and training.
Some other influential players on social media are Marcelo Vieira (soccer player), Karim Benzema (soccer player), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (soccer player), Bronny James (NCAA player), Stephen Curry (NBA player), Floyd Mayweather (boxer), Nick Young (basketball player), Danica Patrick (car driver), Richard Sherman (NFL player), Kris Humphries (NBA player), Chad Johnson (American football player), Lolo Jones (hurdler), Brian Scalabrine (NBA player), Manti Teó, and MS Dhoni (cricketer).
The Bottom Line
Athletes are also celebrities in their own domain. If a particular sport is popular in a specific country, the players of that sport are also loved if they perform. Some athletes are globally famous because their sport is also loved worldwide. Football and cricket are two globally popular games, and the players of these games also get the opportunity to be recognized.
However, only a few players know that social media presence helps them become famous in those circles where many people are not game lovers. Moreover, they can inform their fans and followers about their personal life, future plans, fitness goals, and other related information. This way, they become influential on social media, which ultimately helps them earn money in a new way.
We have pointed out some of the most influential social media athletes who have understood the importance of social media presence. Many are waiting to get a breakthrough and become famous.
Author:
Sarah Burton is a dynamic writer at the intersection of sports and social media. Her engaging content offers a fresh perspective on the ever-evolving relationship between athletes, fans, and digital platforms. With a keen eye for trends and a passion for sports culture.
