5 Barcelona players with the most Instagram followers
The rapid growth of commercialization in football has had a direct impact on the day-to-day functioning of super clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid. As a result, more and more focus is being laid on the social media handles of the said teams, especially Instagram. The massive following of the Facebook-owned platform has caused many players to pay special attention to their social media influence to generate maximum revenue.
No Barcelona players feature in the list of 'most followed footballers on Instagram'
Following Lionel Messi's transfer to PSG, the Ligue 1 club's Instagram presence saw a reported increase of 4.5 million followers in a day, while Barcelona were left licking their wounds. He is the second-most followed footballer on the platform, with 270 million admirers at the time of writing. With Messi gone, no other Barcelona player comes close to breaking into the top 10.
Lionel Messi signing with Paris Saint-Germain gained the football club 4.5M Instagram followers in just 24 hours.
That’s more followers than any American football franchise has total (Patriots have the most followers in the NFL with 4.36M).
H/T @FOS https://t.co/1l0UCnNhuQ
Manchester United's star player Cristiano Ronaldo is still the undisputed leader of Instagram with a gargantuan fan following of 349 million. In fact, the 36-year-old forward is the most followed personality on Instagram, period. The flamboyant No.10 from PSG, Neymar, has to settle for third place with 161 million followers, with teammate Kylian Mbappe trailing in fourth at a following of 58.9 million.
With social media playing such a crucial role in a player's morale nowadays, footballers tend to interact with such platforms more and more. Barcelona's players are no exception either, with the Blaugrana personnel enjoying a considerable presence on Instagram.
With this notion on our minds, let's take a look at five Barcelona players with the most number of Instagram followers right now:
#5 Marc-André ter Stegen - 13 Million
In a club as financially mismanaged as Barcelona, the €12 million acquisition of Marc-André ter Stegen in 2014 has proven to be an astute piece of business. Following a few initial blunders, the German shot-stopper has successfully established his place as Barcelona's undisputed first-choice custodian.
Considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in world football, Ter Stegen has been extremely unfortunate on the international front. Despite his heroics for Barcelona, he has failed to displace the evergreen Manuel Neuer between the sticks in the national team setup.
🗣[ @FabrizioRomano🥇] | Ter Stegen is a key player for Barcelona. He will stay and the club is not planning any change. https://t.co/Hjw8UFAN0L
Having said that, 116 clean sheets in 283 appearances for the club is no joke. Even in turbulent times, when the defence has constantly faltered, Ter Stegen has been a reliable figure. Throwing his humble nature into the mix, we get the reason behind his massive following. At the time of writing, the 29-year-old shot-stopper has an impressive 13 million followers on Instagram.
#4 Jordi Alba - 13.5 Million
Having recently entered his tenth season with the Catalan giants, Jordi Alba has been a mainstay at Barcelona ever since he swapped Mestalla Stadium for Camp Nou. Alba famously graduated from La Masia before leaving the club in search of better opportunities.
The Spaniard inherited Eric Abidal's throne in the left-back position at Barcelona, making an instant connection with the fans. His lightning runs through the left flank instilled fear in the hearts of opposition defences, following them with pinpoint crosses. Alba's telepathic connection with Lionel Messi has produced a number of memorable goals in the past decade.
ℹ Jordi Alba is the highest rated La Liga fullback in FIFA 22. https://t.co/SmT8Er9mDL
Thoroughly cherished by the Blaugrana faithful, Alba is extremely popular in the footballing world. His 13.5 million followers on Instagram are a testament to this fact. While the Catalan defender has experienced a considerable dip in recent years, he continues to maintain a starting position in the Barcelona lineup.
Also read: 5 most underrated strikers in world football right now