The most followed athletes on Instagram, sport by sport
From football to boxing, MMA and basketball. Who leads each sport on Instagram, and why footballers play in a league of their own.
October 23, 2026 · MVP Rankings
At MVP, every athlete counts in the Athletes ranking, and each sport also has its own podium. These are the leaders with today's verified numbers.
- 1
Cristiano Ronaldo@cristiano679.8M - 2
Lionel Messi@leomessi517.7M - 3
Virat Kohli@virat.kohli271.1M - 4
Neymar Jr@neymarjr241.7M - 5
LeBron James@kingjames153.7M - 6
Kylian Mbappé@k.mbappe136.9M - 7
David Beckham@davidbeckham87.6M - 8
Ronaldinho@ronaldinho81.2M - 9
Karim Benzema@karimbenzema74.4M - 10
Sergio Ramos@sergioramos69.8M
Football: a league of its own
The ten most followed athletes in the world are almost always footballers. Cristiano Ronaldo (679.8M), Lionel Messi (517.7M) and Neymar Jr (241.7M) together have more followers than most countries have people. Behind them comes a generation already fighting for the succession, led by Kylian Mbappé (136.9M).
Boxing: legends never retire from Instagram
- 1
Mike Tyson@miketyson33.4M - 2
Floyd Mayweather@floydmayweather28.4M - 3
Jake Paul@jakepaul28M - 4
Canelo Álvarez@canelo18.9M - 5
Anthony Joshua@anthonyjoshua18.5M
In boxing, the top is held by names who no longer fight every year. Mike Tyson (33.4M) and Floyd Mayweather (28.4M) are still up there, and the big newcomer is Jake Paul (28M), who came from YouTube and proves that on social media the show matters as much as the record.
MMA: the fastest growing sport
- 1
Conor McGregor@thenotoriousmma46.2M - 2
Khabib Nurmagomedov@khabib_nurmagomedov45M - 3
Ilia Topuria@iliatopuria18.9M - 4
Ronda Rousey@rondarousey16.5M - 5
Islam Makhachev@islam_makhachev14.8M
Conor McGregor (46.2M) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (45M) are far ahead of everyone else. Right behind them is Ilia Topuria (18.9M), the Spanish fighter who has climbed fastest in recent years. We wrote a full piece about him.
What makes an athlete grow on Instagram
- Big stages. World Cups, finals and title fights add followers within days.
- Personality off the field. Those who share their life, family or humour keep the fans who arrive for a goal or a win.
- A global audience. Playing in a league watched worldwide multiplies reach.
Check every sport's podium in the Athletes ranking and filter by your country.