Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi on Instagram rich list charging huge fees
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Not accustomed to placing second in anything he does, Cristiano Ronaldo has beaten Lionel Messi to top the list of Instagram’s highest earners and continues to reign as king on the photo-sharing app.
Backed by a legion of 308 million followers, the Juventus and Portugal talisman charges more than any other individual on the service, which includes some of the biggest celebrities in the world.
The BBC published figures from social media marketing company Hopper HQ, which calculated Ronaldo can demand as much as $1.6million (£1.2m) per post.
Messi—who is currently a free agent after his Barcelona contract expired on July 1—places seventh overall on the Instagram rich list, charging up to $1.1m (£800,000) for a sponsored upload.
The Argentinian has won a record six Ballons d’Or and boasts 224 million followers himself, but it’s his former nemesis in La Liga, Ronaldo, who sits clear on the Instagram throne.
That pair are the only athletes to crack the top of Instagram’s biggest earners, with the app’s elite otherwise made up mostly of actors and singers.
Wrestler turned Hollywood hotshot Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson places second on a rate of $1.52m (£1.1m) per post, while Ariana Grande comes third as she can rake in $1.51m (£1.09m) per sponsorship.
Do you think Ronaldo will ever match Messi's six Ballon d'Or crowns? Let us know in the comments section.
Mike Bandar, co-founder of Hopper HQ, said Instagram earnings have been inflated as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic.
With many spending more time than ever indoors and on their phones, Bandar suggested the increase in screen time has helped Ronaldo’s rise: "As Covid-19 continues to impact all our lives, it appears that Instagram is the one of the few places not negatively impacted by the pandemic, and with people using the app more than ever before, some could say it was inevitable earnings would peak this year.
"It was great to see Cristiano Ronaldo take the number one spot this year after steadily ranking within the top five throughout the list's history.
"With the Euros this year and a few controversial marketing moves over the last couple of weeks, the football royalty's presence has skyrocketed."
Ronaldo’s high-flying status also speaks volumes of how far the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star has come considering he’s the only European among Instagram’s top 10 most followed accounts.
The only profile page with more followers than him is the app’s official ‘Instagram’ account, which has 401 million subscribers.
Half-sisters Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian can each invoice a little less than $1.5m per post, with actress and singer Selena Gomez sandwiched between the pair ($1.46m).
A star-studded cast of Beyonce Knowles ($1.14m), Justin Bieber ($1.11m) and a third member of the Kardashian crew, Kendall Jenner ($1.05m), rounds out Instagram’s 10 highest-earning accounts.
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Last year, Ronaldo became the first footballer in history to surpass $1billion (£727m) in career earnings, having recently entered the last year of his $64m (£46m)-per-year contract at Juventus.
The 36-year-old is the current top scorer at Euro 2020 despite having already exited the tournament, netting five times before Portugal lost to Belgium in the round of 16.
Top 10 Instagram accounts charging highest per-post fees
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, 308m followers – $1.6m per post
2. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 250m followers – $1.52m
3. Ariana Grande, 247 million followers – $1.51m
4. Kylie Jenner, 244 million followers – $1.49m
5. Selena Gomez, 241 million followers – $1.46m
6. Kim Kardashian, 232 million followers – $1.41m
7. Lionel Messi, 224 million followers – $1.16m
8. Beyonce Knowles, 189 million followers – $1.14m
9. Justin Bieber, 180 million followers – $1.11m
10. Kendall Jenner, 172 million followers – $1.05m
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- Lionel Messi
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