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'Face of world sports' - Fans react as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Virat Kohli top list of Instagram's highest-earning athletes

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Virat Kohli have topped the list of highest-paid athletes on Instagram, according to Hopper HQ.

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Daniel S
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Virat Kohli

Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi & Virat Kohli (Source: Twitter)

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are two of the most eminent footballers of the modern era, and for the same reason, the debate over who among them is the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Time) is still a tough question to crack. Meanwhile, when it comes to cricket, former Indian captain Virat Kohli entered the list of sports greats years ago, thanks to his unmatched batting prowess over the years. However, apart from stamping their authority on the field, these legends have also dominated off the field.

Ronaldo has once again left behind his rivals as he took the title of the highest-paid user on one of the leading social media platforms, Instagram, for the third year in a row. This comes after the Portugal superstar was recognised as the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in July - for the first time since 2017 - following his move to Saudi Arabia.

The 2023 Instagram Rich List released by Hopper HQ, an Instagram scheduling tool, shows that Ronaldo earns a whopping $3.23 million (approximately Rs 26.7 crore) per Instagram post. The list is compiled based on internal and publicly available data on how much each user can charge per post on Instagram and YouTube. Ronaldo's huge earnings are the result of his massive 600 million followers on the Meta-owned platform.

Next on the elite list is Argentina skipper Messi, who earns around $2.6 million per Instagram post. While these two legendary footballers topped the chart, only two other athletes, Kohli and Brazilian footballer Neymar, made it to the top 20. Neymar earns almost twice as much per post as his fellow Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe, while the Indian cricket stalwart makes around Rs 11.45cr on Instagram.

What fascinates me more is the consistent players at the top: co-founder of Hopper HQ

Reacting to Instagram's top earners' list, Mike Bandar, co-founder of Hopper HQ, said the annual money generated on the platform is increasing every year. “It’s still shocking to me that the annual money made on the platform increases every year,” said Bandar.

“Yet, what fascinates me more is the consistent players at the top. It’s apparent that the glitz and glamour of traditional celebrities still holds power over the new ‘influencer’ status. Ronaldo and Messi not only dominate the pitch, but also the digital sphere as it’s clear they personify the power of personal branding and the influence it holds over us ‘ordinary’ people," he added.

Here's how fans reacted: 

Cristiano Ronaldo Virat Kohli Lionel Messi