These Pro Athletes Make the Most Money on Instagram

Lionel Messi, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo and other superstar athletes make six figures-plus per Instagram post.

Athlete Influnecers Lionel Messi LeBron James Cristiano Ronaldo 2
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Celebrities with massive social media followings can earn six- or even seven-figure sums from sharing a single sponsored post on their feeds. And when it comes to the superstar athletes, believe it or not pro soccer players make the most money on Instagram. 

LuxuryLaunches revealed the dizzying fees that the top 10 “sports influencers” bank per post. And aside from four-time NBA MVP LeBron James and cricket sensation Virat Kohli, all are elite footballers. Unsurprisingly, there appears to be a correlation between Instagram and overall earnings, as Lionel Messi, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo have taken the top three spots here, just as they did on Forbes’ annual list of the World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes in 2019. See which other celebrity jocks are using the ‘Gram to bring in serious cash below: 

10. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool FC

39.5 million Instagram followers, $180,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbQ_F4Bn2e

9. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – AC Milan

43.3 million Instagram followers, $200,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzPw18co-F4

8. Gareth Bale – Real Madrid CF

43.3 million Instagram followers, $200,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAFwLTuJMJc

7. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira – FC Barcelona (Retired) 

51.5 million Instagram followers, $238,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6_l77bntCr

6. Virat Kohli – Royal Challengers Bangalore

 64.2 million Instagram followers, $296,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBzoiuGl1h_

5. LeBron James – Los Angeles Lakers

66.7 million Instagram followers, $307,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSQmc3ge5F

4. David Beckham – Paris Saint-Germain FC (Retired) 

63.2 million Instagram followers, $339,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx75slBh1wb

3. Lionel Messi – FC Barcelona

115.6 million Instagram followers, $695,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBbKHkWiEA1

2. Neymar da Silva Santos Junior – Paris Saint-German FC

185 million Instagram followers, $704,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCwaoouAZxA

1. Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus FC

224.8 million Instagram followers, $889,000 per post

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCOsZEpgqV-

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