One month before the World Cup, here is the most popular footballer on Instagram and Google.
When we talk about the World Cup, we also and above all talk about footballers, stars of the web as well as of the 90 minutes. And with one month to go until the start of Qatar 2022, a study by the Seeders agency reveals the extent of their following with a popularity ranking. Which concerns the most liked footballer on Instagram and Google, but also the most followed national football team.
Most followed footballers
Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar: these are the three footballers on the podium. The Portuguese champion boasts 477 million followers, followed by Messi with 356 million and Neymar with 178 million. In fourth place is Mbappé with a notable difference to the first three. The French footballer is followed by 72.3 million followers. Only 59.4 million web users follow Benzema.
The case of Toni Kroos
The Instagram ranking does not always correspond with the popularity on Google. If, in fact, for the holy monsters of modern football who occupy the top three positions there are no surprises, things change going down from the top ten.
There are, in fact, several discrepancies that confirm how popularity on the two platforms does not always go hand in hand. Interesting is the data concerning Real Madrid star Toni Kroos, who is able to add a good 35 million followers, but who only has 2 points in the popularity ranking on Google. For this reason, the German ranks behind colleagues with far fewer followers.
The least popular on Instagram
Seeders also revealed who are the football aces who will play at the World Cup but are unloved on Instagram. In last place, both on Instagram and Google, is Australian Miloš Degenek, while Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana climbs several places with an impressive 20 points in the Google popularity ranking.
Is this due to his recent move to Inter? According to the communication agency, in fact, both the geographical origin of a national team and a player's move to a prestigious league can boost followers and Google searches, influencing the final ranking.
The most popular national teams on social
Argentina and Brazil, followed by Portugal: these are the national teams most followed on social networks. Off the podium is England, the adoptive home of 'soccer' as we know it today, because it was in a London suburb, Mortlake to be precise, that it was born in 1863. This is another reason why the 'Three Lions' selection could not be absent from the rankings of the most popular national teams on Instagram. The popularity drops when we talk about Asian and African teams.
Only a fifth place for France, probably due to the intertwining of the ranking of followers on Instagram with that of popularity on Google.