Sachin Tendulkar is more popular than Usain Bolt and Roger Federer worldwide?

Previously, we looked at who the most popular sportspeople in India are on social media, using starcount’s social media chart rankings. While the chart was dominated by some expected figures like Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, there were also a few unexpected athletes in the Top 20, such as the retired Sreesanth.

Given the demi god status attributed to them in the country, it comes as no surprise that these national heroes top the charts in India, but where do Tendulkar and Dhoni place in the global Top 50?

Sachin Tendulkar is the most popular sportsperson in India

The social media chart for the alltime Most Popular Sportspersonis topped by Cristiano Ronaldo, with a fanbase stretching across several networks. Ronaldo’s recent success with Real Madrid in the Champions League has seen him increase by over 144,000 Facebook fans and 160,000 Twitter followers just this week. With a total of around 49million fans on his official Facebook, 13 million on Twitter, 1.7 million on Google+, he leads the list with ease, with his closest challenger being FC Barcelona‘s Lionel Messi at No.2.

At No.3 is another very popular footballer – David Beckham, who despite not having an official Twitter account is successful enough on Facebook and YouTube to maintain a comfortable position in the top 3.

Sachin Tendulkar can be found at No.13 in the alltime chart, with tennis ace Rafael Nadal just above him. Shaquille O’Neil and Usain Bolt come in behind Tendulkar, after Bolt’s Olympic takeover which saw the sprinter rise dramatically on social media. Tendulkar is the only Indian sportsperson in the global chart on Social Media, but he does find himself above internationally recognised sports stars, like Roger Federer and Michael Phelps. Dhoni slips inside the top 50 at No.43 in the alltime chart, just ahead of the Team GB’s Olympic posterboy Tom Daley.

While these cricketing icons are huge stars in their home country, it seems that they can also compete on a global scale alongside other international sportspeople on social media. Tendulkar and Dhoni are pioneers of their craft, as the only two cricketers in the world that place within the top 50 athletes globally on social media.