The Most Followed Athletes On Social Media Are In

Let's face it; plenty of us love nothing more than keeping up with our favorite celebrities on social media. Athletes are no exception, as many can't wait to see what they get up to away from the sports that made them so famous. Now, the most followed athletes on social media are in, and it seems 2022 hasn't had much change to the top.

From football to soccer, wrestling to racing, and golf to tennis, there are so many ways that people can show off that they're the best of the best. Now, it seems some are more popular than others, as they have racked up millions of followers across their various social media platforms.

Dwayne Johnson is one of the most followed athletes across all platforms 

• Facebook followers: 60 million
• Instagram followers: 347 million
• Twitter followers: 16.7 million
• Total followers: 423.7 million

Transitioning from the WWE to the world of Hollywood was one of the bravest moves Dwayne Johnson has ever made. After all, not everyone who goes from the wrestling ring to the big screen has seen things pay off. Thankfully, it did wonders for The Rock's career, as he's now one of the most followed athletes on social media. Here, the star often fills his feed with touching moments and personal looks into his private life. While having millions of fans from his wrestling days was one thing, making over $10 billion from his acting roles worldwide is something entirely different for Johnson.

David Beckham almost tops the charts for followers in the US 

• Facebook followers: 56 million
• Instagram followers: 75.7 million
• Twitter followers: N/A
• Total followers: 131.7 million

What happens when you retire from the sport that made you so famous? If you're anything like David Beckham, you continue to have one of the biggest social media followings of all time. It's helped by David's marriage to Victoria Beckham, who has also gone from a singing legend to a business owner and fashion designer. Even though he's retired from playing, David still makes millions of dollars from soccer as a coach and comes in fourth place among the most followers athletes on social media for 2022.

Lionel Messi almost takes the top spot for followers 

• Facebook followers: 106 million
• Instagram followers: 372 million
• Twitter followers: N/A
• Total followers: 478 million

Just missing out on the top spot for the most followed athletes for 2022 is none other than soccer star Lionel Messi. Of course, being one of the top players the pitch has ever seen means that Messi has more than a few fans. The incredible part? The soccer legend doesn't even have a Twitter page, meaning his followers only come from two sites, yet put him above almost everyone else in the world of sports. In fact, just three hours after starting his Facebook page, Messi had 6.8 million followers - a number that's since jumped to 106 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed athlete on social media 

• Facebook followers: 154 million
• Instagram followers: 495 million
• Twitter followers: 104.7 million
• Total followers: 753.7 million

Coming in as the most followed athlete on social media is none other than the man, the myth, the legend: Cristiano Ronaldo. He is known for his incredible soccer skills on the pitch and his winning personality that's earned him millions of fans - 753.7 million, to be precise. It's not just the fact that Ronaldo comes in top spot that's got so many people talking; it's how he has almost double the number of fans Messi has in second place. It might be little surprise that Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram, too.

Taking a look at the most followed athletes on social media for 2022 might be little surprise to many. Still, the fact Cristiano Ronaldo beats out the competition tenfold might not be the news that many were expecting to see.