Football, or soccer as some might call it, is undeniably the world’s number one sport to most and well-loved by many regardless of age and gender. This glamourous sport has even produced a number of players whose popularity rivals those of film stars’. Among the main factors that help boost their popularity is not just their action on the field and impressive goal-scoring, but also having good looks that make them easy on the eyes.
Let us share with you the 10 footballers below who are the not only the best in their field and good-looking, but also have a wide influence on social media!
Cristiano Ronaldo
Globally famous Portuguese and Juventus FC footballer Cristiano Ronaldo (CR7) is one of the athletes with the most followers on Instagram, numbering at 235 million. Looking at his Instagram, CR7 is fond of sharing photos of him and his family.
Lionel Messi
Another major footballer, Argentina and Barcelona FC’s Lionel Messi (LM10), has more than 161 million followers on his Instagram. Interestingly, similar to CR7, Lionel also often share photos of him and his family, as well as him flexing his skills on the field.
Neymar Jr
While CR7 & LM10 prioritise families, young Brazil-born talent and Paris Saint Germain (PSG) footballer Neymar Jr goes the opposite. He more often garners attention from the media due to his wild lifestyle and fo causing controversies whenever he is off the field. At the moment, Neymar has more than 140 million Instagram followers.
David Beckham
Even though David Beckham has retired from the football world, the former England, Manchester United, Real Madrid, La Galaxy and Paris Saint Germain (PSG FC) star is still popular in the said world. Aside from spending time with his family, he is also active in modelling and owns the Inter Miami CF academy and football club. So it’s no surprise that his Instagram following continues to grow, which currently numbers at more than 63.8 million followers.
Ronaldinho
Another former footballer who is well known for his dribbling skills – Ronaldinho. During his glory days, he was a party-loving player until he decided to hang up his boots. Due to overspending, he was reported bankrupt in 2018. Early last year, he was held at a Paraguay prison for supposedly owning a fake passport. Despite his controversies, he has over 51.4 million followers on Instagram. Maybe he can generate income from making IG reviews next.
James Rodriguez
James Rodriguez started making a name for himself when he played at the 2014-2018 World Cup with Colombia and set a record as the player with the highest number of goals at the 2018 World Cup, earning the first Golden Boot trophy. Having been playing for Real Madrid since 2014, he was lent to Bayern Munich from 2017 to 2019. As of now, James has over 45.9 million Instagram followers.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no doubt among the world’s most lauded footballers. The former Swedish national player is a striker who is all action on the field and is well known as a “goal photocopier”. Looking at his records and number of goals, many will be left impressed. During the 2018-2019 season, he played with the La Galaxy team where he made 56 appearances with a total of 52 goals. Definitely an impressive feat especially for a striker in his late-30s. There’s no surprise then he has more than 43.7 million followers on Instagram.
Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale caught everyone’s attention after he started playing for the Tottenham Hotspur since 2007, with many highly amazed by the Welsh winger’s skills and impressive goal scorings. Bale’s ability has attracted Real Madrid who then bought him with the highest transfer among known to the world at the time. Even though it took him a while to get acquainted with the Spanish League, he gradually began showing off his skills and is now the main winger for Real Madrid. He also has a strong Instagram following, numbering at 43.1 million.
Karim Benzema
France-born Karim Benzema is a talented striker who’s helped the country win three world championships – twice for the UEFA European Championship and once for the World Cup in 2014. He’s also the striker for Real Madrid since 2009 until now. Despite often being seen warming up the benches, so to speak, once he’s called in onto the field he definitely leaves a big impact. This quite controversy-less footballer has more than 35.2 million Instagram followers.
David Luiz
David Luiz is a Brazilian defence who’s gotten everyone’s attention since he played with Benfica in 2007, but later moved to Chelsea and helped the team win UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. Thanks to his skills, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) later bought him for £50 million, making him the world’s highest-paid defence. After two seasons with PSG, Luiz returned to Chelsea, before transferring to Arsenal in 2019. Currently, Luiz has more than 19.4 million followers on Instagram.