Soccer Stars Dominate Instagram Rich List

Over the years, we’ve had some great celebrities come from the world of sport. As well as excelling in their field, they somehow managed to build a brand and perhaps David Beckham is a key example of this. After starting in England, the brand quickly grew and he’s now well on the way to launching an MLS soccer franchise. 

In recent years, this trend has continued and even grown thanks to the likes of Instagram. We now have direct access to our favorite sportsmen and women.

Have you ever wondered how much they get paid to post on social media? Well, thanks to Hopper HQ, social media experts, this is the sort of statistic we can learn…and it’s eye-watering. 

Soccer Players Lead the Way 

After a list was published last week, we can see that the top four spots are taken by soccer players. The figures we quote here are per post, so this is the amount of money the stars receive when companies want an endorsement. 

• Cristiano Ronaldo – $975,000 
• Neymar Jr – $722,000 
• Lionel Messi – $648,000
• David Beckham – $357,000

Just to reiterate, this is the figure any company can pay to have the star endorse their product. Wow. With 178 million followers, it’s perhaps not a surprise to see Cristiano Ronaldo at the top. Over the years, the brand of the man has grown considerably and he’s now an international phenomenon. In fact, his Instagram account has 147 million MORE followers than his club, Juventus. 

Widely considered the best player in the world, Messi is also in the top three and actually has two million more followers than second-placed Neymar Jr. In fourth, we have the man who never seems to age despite retiring from soccer some years ago; David Beckham. 

LeBron, Kohli, and Rousey

What about away from the world of soccer? Well, LeBron rounds off the top five and is thought to receive $272,000 per post. However, LeBron is only joined in the top ten by one other non-soccer star; Virat Kohli. As one of the biggest names in cricket, Kohli receives just short of $200,000 for endorsements on Instagram. The other names in the top ten are; 

• Ronaldinho
• Gareth Bale
• Zlatan Ibrahimović 
• Luis Suarez

As you’ll notice, the top ten is also dominated by males. Ronda Rousey is the first female on the list in 15th place; the former UFC and current WWE star receives $68,000. Just below, we find Serena Williams with just over $60,000 per post. 

With all this in mind, it seems Instagram really is a platform for soccer stars and fans. With eight from the top ten from this one sport, it’s an interesting way of looking at the brands that sports stars can build. Also, it’s interesting to see the battle between US sports stars and soccer stars who, for the most part, are popular right across Europe and South America. 

Wouldn’t it be great to earn nearly $1 million for endorsing a product on a social media platform? Well done, Cristiano Ronaldo!