2 Lionel Messi (441 Million)

Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or seven times and is widely regarded as the best player of all time, has 441 million fans. It is more people than live in the majority of nations.

With his triumph post following the World Cup final, Messi also now owns the record for the most-liked Instagram photo ever. An image of an egg previously held the record.

Not only through his career in the field, but he is also making money through different avenues such as launching his own clothing brand. In 2019, he established his own clothing brand and opened his first store, the Messi Shop, in Barcelona. He has a lifetime contract with Adidas as well.

Furthermore, he agreed to get $20 million a year in endorsement fees from the fan engagement app Socios in March 2022.

The legend knows how to excel in all possible directions and so, his fanbase is spread all over the world in every possible corner there is. 

3 Neymar Jr. (204.4 Million)

He is one of the most well-known athletes in the world away from the field. In 2012 and 2013, SportsPro called him the most marketable athlete in the world, and in 2016, ESPN ranked him as the fourth most well-known athlete in the world. He was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important persons in the world in 2017. 

Neymar was listed as the third best-paid football player in the world in 2018 by France Football. He was the third best-paid athlete in the world according to Forbes the next year; in 2020, he fell to fourth. 

Since breaking through as a youngster at Santos FC, Neymar—one of the finest players of his generation and the most expensive player in football history—has established himself as a household name all over the world.

The Brazilian superstar, who has 204.4 million followers, is having a great time at PSG but has been sidelined by injuries over the past several seasons.