Messi trails Ronaldo, while Beckham ranks fifth: here's how much football stars earn from endorsements.

In the world of football, social media has evolved into not just a communication platform but also a significant source of income for top players. According to recent data, Cristiano Ronaldo has once again claimed the top spot as the highest-paid footballer on Instagram in 2025, earning $1.4 million for each sponsored post.

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Together with Lionel Messi, who also ranks closely behind (1.1 million), Ronaldo dominates the platform, earning substantial profits thanks to his incredible brand and global popularity.

Interestingly, it's not just income that defines the success of these footballers on Instagram, but also the level of engagement from their followers. Kylian Mbappé, despite trailing behind Ronaldo and Messi in overall earnings, boasts the highest engagement rate with an impressive 3.26% per post. This indicates that his posts generate the most interaction among followers, making him highly attractive to advertisers.

However, there are those who do not convert their posts into earnings as successfully. For instance, Brazilian legend Ronaldinho recorded the lowest engagement rate in the top 10, with only 0.71% interaction per post.

Another interesting piece of news is that Mohamed Salah has become the only African player to enter the top 10 highest-paid footballers on Instagram. His popularity among fans, particularly in the Arab world, has significantly boosted his ranking on this list.