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#8 Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur, Wales)
Number of Instagram followers (end of 2020): 43.7 million followers
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Real Madrid's wantaway superstar, Gareth Bale, is currently on loan at Tottenham Hotspur. While he may have fallen from grace at Madrid, he still remains a widely followed footballer.
After breaking through at Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager, he moved to Real Madrid in 2013 and went on to achieve great things. At one point in time, Bale was undeniably among the five best footballers in the world and spent his time terrorizing defenses of the teams he played against.
In his 7 years at Madrid, he helped the side win the UEFA Champions League 4 times and LaLiga twice, among a total of 13 major trophy wins.
Bale has also been a crucial player for Wales, and has been named the Welsh Footballer of the Year six times - a record.
#7 Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Number of Instagram followers (end of 2020): 45.8 million followers
You know a player is truly special if he's one of the best in the world at the age of 22. There has never quite been any doubt about Kylian Mbappe. Ever since the spotlight fell on him, he has grown from strength to strength, establishing himself among the best in the world.
Despite his age, Mbappe has played 204 official matches at club level so far, scoring 131 goals and assisting 74 more. Now playing in just his 4th season for Paris Saint-Germain, he has already scored the fourth-highest number of goals in the club's history.
The striker has represented France since 2017 and played a massive role in their victory at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Mbappe became the youngest French player to score a goal at the big stage and went on to score a total of 4 goals in the competition. He subsequently received the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award.
With time on his side, this is just a sign of things to come.
#6 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (AC Milan)
Number of Instagram followers (end of 2020): 46.0 million followers
Where does one even begin when talking about AC Milan superstar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic?
A self-proclaimed god of the football world, Zlatan has repeatedly proved that he is the human embodiment of the world 'Legend'. As he would probably put it, Zlatan is not a legend. Legend is Zlatan.
The Swedish striker is one of the best strikers to have ever graced the game. Among all currently active players, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more goals than Ibrahimovic.
An ultimate journeyman, he has played for a host of top clubs including Barcelona, Manchester United, PSG, Juventus and both Milan clubs. Over a career that has spanned more than 20 years, Ibrahimovic has won more than 30 major trophies.
He represented Sweden for 16 years before retiring in 2016. He remains the country's top goal-scorer of all time, and was named the country's best player (and awarded the Guldbollen) a record 12 times - 10 of which were consecutive.
Now, at the age of 39, he has still showed no sign of slowing down. Additionally, his personality and confidence have essentially made him a symbol and a dearly beloved footballer.
#5 Marcelo (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Number of Instagram followers (end of 2020): 46.1 million followers
Widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in football history, Marcelo plies his trade for Real Madrid and the Brazil national team.
Now playing in his 15th season at Real Madrid, Marcelo has forged his name into the legendary club's history books, winning 22 major trophies with Los Blancos. This includes 5 LaLiga titles and 4 UEFA Champions League titles.
The 32-year-old has also played 58 times for Brazil, and has won a Bronze and a Silver Medal at the Olympics.
