Six countries, six podiums: who leads sport on Instagram

Who is the most followed athlete in each country? The global list is dominated by a handful of footballers, but splitting it by country shows something more useful: every nation has its own sporting identity on Instagram, and the size of a country's athlete ranking says little about how big its stars are. This comparison uses MVP's verified data at the time of writing (24 October 2026) for the six countries with the most followed athletes.

Portugal: the smallest list, the biggest name

Portugal has 21 athletes in our data, the fewest of the six countries here. Yet it has the most followed athlete of all: Cristiano Ronaldo, with 679.8M. Behind him come Pepe (19M) and João Félix (13.6M), both footballers as well. The distance between first and second place is the largest in this comparison: no other country has a leader so far ahead of the rest of its podium.

Two of the three are listed in Riyadh rather than in Portugal, a reminder that our city field follows where people build their career. See the full Portugal ranking.

Argentina: football from top to bottom

Argentina counts 38 athletes. Lionel Messi leads with 517.7M, followed by Paulo Dybala (56.4M) and Sergio Agüero (27.5M). All three are footballers, and they are listed in three different cities: Miami, Rome and Buenos Aires. Of the three, only Agüero is listed in Argentina itself. The Argentina athletes ranking goes deeper into the list.

India: cricket owns the podium

India is the clearest case of a national sport turning into Instagram reach. Its 35 ranked athletes are led by Virat Kohli with 271.1M, and the next two places also belong to cricket: Sachin Tendulkar (51.6M) and MS Dhoni (49.9M). It is the only country in this comparison where football does not appear in the top 3. Kohli's figure also puts him above every Brazilian, American and French athlete in the list. Explore the India athletes ranking.

Brazil: the deepest football podium

Brazil has 93 athletes in our data. Neymar Jr leads with 241.7M, ahead of Ronaldinho (81.2M) and Marcelo (67.4M). All three are footballers and all three are listed in Brazil, in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, which is unusual in a comparison where so many stars are listed abroad. Brazil's second and third places are also the highest of the six countries. See the Brazil athletes ranking.

United States: the biggest pool, led by basketball

The United States has by far the largest athlete ranking, with 309 profiles. Its podium is entirely basketball: LeBron James (153.7M), Stephen Curry (56.9M) and Shaquille O'Neal (35.1M). The three are listed in three different cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco and Atlanta.

This is the key contrast of the whole comparison. The country with the most ranked athletes does not have the most followed one: LeBron James has fewer followers than the leaders of Portugal, Argentina, India and Brazil. Volume and reach are two different things on Instagram. The United States athletes ranking shows how many sports appear further down.

France: football, mostly abroad

France counts 63 athletes. Kylian Mbappé leads with 136.9M, followed by Karim Benzema (74.4M) and Paul Pogba (63.5M). All three are footballers listed in cities outside France: Madrid, Jeddah and Turin. See the France athletes ranking.

What the six podiums have in common

• Football leads in four of six countries: Portugal, Argentina, Brazil and France.
• Two countries break the pattern: India with cricket and the United States with basketball.
• Size is not reach: the United States has 309 ranked athletes and Portugal 21, but Portugal has the most followed one.
• Many stars are listed abroad: in Portugal, Argentina and France, most of the top 3 are listed in cities outside their country.

For brands and agencies, the lesson is practical. If you are looking for athlete reach in a specific market, the national ranking and its sport matter more than the global top 10: in India the conversation runs through cricket, in the United States through basketball, and in the other four countries through football.

Where to look next

Start with the world athletes ranking for the full picture, then compare it with the country lists above. You can also open the general rankings of Brazil or the United States to see where athletes sit next to musicians, actors and creators. Our methodology explains how profiles are verified, and if an athlete from your country is missing, submit a profile.