Meet the Instagram Queens of the Women's World Cup!
Meet the Instagram Queens of the Women’s World Cup! Alisha Lehmann tops the table with each post to 13.4m followers valued at £241,000, while Alex Morgan can rake in £44,000 and Alessia Russo is England’s star
- Alessia Russo replaces injured Leah Williamson as England’s Instagram leader
- Nine nations are represented in the top 10 with USA the only side with two stars
- Russo needs to take her chances – What we learned following Lionesses send off
With the Women’s World Cup set to kick-off on July 20, the attention of the world is set to be focused on goings on in Australia and New Zealand as the best teams in the game face off.
However, for many of the stars taking to the field, the spotlight has become a part of their day-to-day lives, having amassed huge social media followings in recent years.
Data analysts Gracenote Nielsen have put together a list of the top 10 Instagram influencers among those taking part at the tournament, and found that Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann comes out on top.
Having taken into account the number of followers, rate at which followings have grown, engagement with posts, and the value of each branded post on Instagram with their InfluenceScope tool, Nielsen determined that the Swiss forward delivers the greatest value on social media to sponsors.
With Leah Williamson – who would have ranked fourth – out with a cruciate ligament injury, Alessia Russo comes in as England’s top-ranked player, with nine nations represented in the list.
Alisha Lehmann has some 13.4m Instagram followers, while Alessia Russo (right) leads the way for England
USA are the reigning World Cup winners and are represented by two players in the top 10 list
The data also shows that the most influential team was Germany, who edged out European champions England and hosts of the previous World Cup France, while USA is the only side to feature two players in the top 10.
Here, Mail Sport takes you through the top 10 most influential stars at the upcoming Women’s World Cup.
1. Alisha Lehmann – Switzerland/Aston Villa
13.4m followers; 75 percent follower growth rate; seven per cent engagement rate; £241,314 average media post value
No player in the Women’s game has more followers on Instagram than the Swiss star, who has amassed a following of 13.4m on the social media platform, seeing her surge past USA icon Alex Morgan.
It has been a rapid rise to the top, too, for the forward, who has seen a 75 per cent follower increase over the past year, with around seven per cent – 938,000 – engaging with her posts on average.
In fact, so popular is the 24-year-old that she has even surpassed the following of the greatest ever tennis player and fellow Swiss, Roger Federer, to become her country’s leading sportsperson on social media.
Such a following on the platform has however come with an unfortunate price for Lehmann, who has admitted that she’s had to tell her mother not to read comments on her posts, as a result of internet trolls.
As a result, her average media value per branded post is estimated at an eye-watering £241,314.
Lehmann has seen a 75 per cent growth in her Instagram following over the past 12 months
The 24-year-old is Switzerland’s most followed sportsperson – surpassing even Roger Federer
2. Alexia Putellas – Spain/Barcelona
2.8m followers; 65 percent follower growth rate; 12 per cent engagement rate; £88,853 average media post value
Arguably the best player in Europe in the last two season, Alexia Putellas comes in at second behind the Aston Villa star, despite having just 2.8m Instagram followers.
The Barcelona and Spain midfielder has been awarded the Ballon d’Or and Fifa’s Best Women’s Player award in 2021 and 2022, which has translated to her footprint on social media.
Her 2.8m followers have come after a growth of 65 per cent in the last year, and each post sees an average of 336,000 engagements, around 12 per cent of her following, and she earns roughly £88,853 per branded post.
What is more impressive is that she has been cruelly injured for most of the past 12 months after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament tear on the eve of last summer’s Euros, but she will be back in action leading Spain this summer.
3. Alex Morgan – USA/San Diego Waves
10m followers; five percent follower growth rate; one per cent engagement rate; £43,752 average media post value
The American legend previously lead the race for the most followers of any female footballer, but has now fallen behind Aston Villa’s Lehmann.
That is not to say she has dropped off in popularity at all. Morgan still has some 10m followers behind her, though she has an engagement rate of just one per cent on average per post.
However, she is one of the most successful American stars in the sport, with a stunning 200 games for her country and 120 goals, writing her name into football folklore in the USA.
Therefore it comes as no surprise that she rakes in some £43,752 per branded post – fitting for a player that has had a 374kg statue unveiled in their honour ahead of the tournament.
Alex Morgan was honoured with a huge statue ahead of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand
Morgan has played a staggering 200 games for her country – scoring 120 goals in the process
4. Jordyn Huitema – Canada/OL Reign
1.6m followers; -15 percent follower growth rate; 10 per cent engagement rate; £59,836 average media post value
At No 4 is Canada’s Jordyn Huitema, who at 22 is the youngest player to make the top 10.
Huitema has already amassed a following of around 1.6m on Instagram despite her relative youth, and on average the media value of her branded posts is estimated at £59,863.
Her growth rate on the social media platform has regressed a touch of late at -15 per cent, but she does boast a 10 per cent engagement rate on posts.
However, Huitema is set to be a mainstay on the international scene for a long time to come – in fact she has already been a household name for seven years after making her Canadian debut at 15!
The reigning Olympic champion will be looking to add World Cup gold for Canada in the coming tournament, which could see her stardom propelled to further heights.
5. Marta – Brazil/Orlando Pride
2.6m followers; minus one percent follower growth rate; one per cent engagement rate; £10,070 average media post value
There is perhaps no player more synonymous with the World Cup than Brazil’s Marta, who is on the verge of history.
Having scored at each of her previous five tournaments after appearing in 2003, the 37-year-old could become the first footballer ever to score at six editions in Australia and New Zealand.
As Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer, Marta has some 2.6m followers on Instagram, and earns around £10,070 for each branded post, although she only gets an average engagement of one per cent.
Brazilian icon Marta could become the first player ever to score at six different World Cup tournaments
6. Megan Rapinoe – USA/OL Reign
2.1m followers; minus three percent follower growth rate; two per cent engagement rate; £12,998 average media post value
Another long-serving international star is in at No 6, with Megan Rapinoe completing the American contingent on the list of the World Cup’s most influential players.
Having featured in the side since 2006, Rapinoe has won the previous two World Cups as well as 2012 Olympic gold, and was awarded the gong for the top scorer at the previous edition.
As such, the American has 2.1m followers on Instagram, although growth has stagnated in recent times with a rate of 13 per cent, with only two per cent of her total – 63,000 – engaging with posts.
However, the 37-year-old is still earning around £12,998 per branded post.
7. Jule Brand – Germany/Wolfsburg
198,000 followers; 517 percent follower growth rate; 30 per cent engagement rate; £11,397 average media post value
No player has increased their following on Instagram by more than Jule Brand’s staggering 517 per cent, bringing her tally up to some 198,000.
That following is also consistently active in interacting with posts, with 30 per cent actively doing so – also the highest on the list, although that is perhaps to be expected given her much lower follower count.
Given her rapid rise on the social media platform, the 2022 Euros runner-up is already making on average £11,397 for each of her branded posts.
Megan Rapinoe will be looking to make it three in a row for America after finishing as top scorer in 2019
Wolfsburg and Germany star Jule Brand has seen her Instagram following explode by over 500 per cent
8. Alessia Russo – England/Man United
457,000 followers; 280 percent follower growth rate; 15 per cent engagement rate; £14,016 average media post value
Alessia Russo shot to superstardom at the Euros last summer after her iconic backheel nutmeg goal against Sweden, producing one of the most iconic moments of a tournament that will live long in the memory of England fans.
Since then, she has become one of the most sought-after names in the WSL, attracting a world record bid from Arsenal in January, despite having just six months left on her deal at Manchester United.
She is yet to sign an extension at the Red Devils, and as such is expected to leave the club after 22 league goals in 46 games.
England’s most popular player on Instagram, she has 457,000 followers, with a massive growth rate of 280 per cent and an engagement rate of 15 per cent on average.
The England forward also makes an average of £14,016 off each branded post on Instagram, attracting some big sponsors as a result of her stunning performances on the pitch.
The Manchester United forward is followed by some 457,000 people on Instagram
Russo scored one of the most iconic England goals ever against Sweden at the Euros with a backheel nutmeg
9. Sakina Karchaoui – France/Paris Saint-Germain
726,000 followers; 27 percent follower growth rate; 11 per cent engagement rate; £23,238 average media post value
France’s Sakina Karchaoui has been a feature of the national side for seven years now, and was a crucial part of the team that reached the last four of the Euros last summer.
She has a total following on Instagram of around 726,000, having grown by 27 per cent over the past year and boasts an 11 per cent engagement rate.
With over 50 caps to her name, Karchaoui has been able to draw some big-name brands, earning around £23,238 per sponsored post on Instagram.
10. Sam Kerr – Australia/Chelsea
1.2m followers; 30 percent follower growth rate; five per cent engagement rate; £17,776 average media post value
Last but by no means least is Sam Kerr, Chelsea’s talismanic goal machine, who was voted PFA Player of the Season for 2022 after another stunning campaign with Emma Hayes’ side.
At 29, Kerr also has a staggering trophy haul, having won four WSL titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and two Cup of Nations with her country, and is widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the game.
Australia and Chelsea talisman Sam Kerr will be looking to win the World Cup on home soil
Kerr was also given the honour of bearing the Australian flag for her country’s delegation at the coronation of King Charles III earlier in 2023.
And her global fame is represented in her influence on social media, with a following of 1.2m on Instagram and a growth rate of 30 per cent.
Of those 1.2m, 60,00 – five per cent – engage with her content on average, and the Matildas’ skipper and all-time top scorer earns around £17,766 per branded post.
Kerr comes into the tournament on red hot form after her standout season in west London, and will be hoping to lift the trophy on home soil in August.
Source: Read Full Article