55 Most Popular Sports, Athletes, Wives and Girlfriends Instagram Accounts

Instagram is a social media network that emphasizes the sharing of photos. While Instagram use has not caught on yet as much as, say, Twitter, most professional sports teams – at least in the United States – have an official account, as do hundreds of athletes and their wives and girlfriends (WAGs). With that in mind, here are some of the most popular teams, athletes and WAGs on Instagram, plus the official accounts of the five professional sports leagues that most represent the 250+ players initially considered.

Sports Leagues on Instagram

Over 140 teams in five sports (soccer, baseball, basketball, football, and hockey) were considered for the top teams (see section below). For convenience, the Instagram accounts of these five leagues are listed below.

  • Basketball: NBA (National Basketball Association) – approximately 5.9 million followers.
  • Football: NFL (National Football League) – approximately 3.0 million followers.
  • Baseball: MLB (Major League Baseball) – approximately 1.4 million followers.
  • Hockey: NHL (National Hockey League) – approximately 1.0 million followers.
  • Soccer: EPL (English Premier League) – approximately 844 thousand followers.

Most Popular Sports Teams on Instagrams

In the top 10 teams category, British soccer teams from EPL (English Premier League) take the top three spots and #6. The NBA holds four spots, and the NFL takes the remaining two spots. Baseball (MLB) and Hockey (NHL) teams do not appear until #16 and #27, respectively.

Most Popular Male Athletes on Instagram

Some popular male athletes tend to keep a low profile in social, for example Tom Brady, who is married model Gisele Bundchen, and has had numerous flings with famous females. Of those who do use social media, here are the top 20 most popuar male athletes on Instagram. (We’ve taken extra effort to verify official Instagram accounts, to the best of our ability.) Soccer players took 10 of the top 20 spots, basketball players took eight spots, and one football player made this list.

  • Neymar — Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (aka Neymar) is a soccer player (forward/ winger) currently playing for the Brazilian national team and for Barcelona. He has about 19.22 million Instagram followers and romantic connections to Bruna Marquezine.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo — Cristiano Ronaldo is a soccer player (forward) in the league La Liga for Real Madrid C.F. (prev. Manchester United) and Portugal national team. He has about 16.10 million Instagram followers and romantic connections to Irina Shayk, Gemma Atkinson and Raffaella Fico.
  • LeBron James — LeBron James is a basketball player (small forward) in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers (prev. Miami Heat and an earlier stint with the Cavaliers). He has about 9.625 million Instagram followers and is married to Savannah Brinson, to whom he proposed on New Year’s Eve 2011 and married in Sep 2013.
  • Iker Casillas — Iker Casillas is a soccer player (goalkeeper) for Real Madrid and the Spain national team. He has about 4.163 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Sara Carbonero.
  • Dwyane Wade — Dwyane Wade is a basketball player (shooting guard) in the NBA for the Miami Heat. He has about 4.137 million Instagram followers and is married to Gabrielle Union.
  • Kobe Bryant — Kobe Bryant is a basketball player (shooting guard) in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has about 3.351 million Instagram followers and is married to Vanessa Bryant, who had asked for a divorce in Dec 2011 but which she called off in Jan 2013.
  • Gerard Pique — Gerard Piqué is a soccer player (centre-back) in the league La Liga for FC Barcelona, as well as for the national teams of Spain and Catalonia. He has about 3.084 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Shakira.
  • Cesc Fabregas — Cesc Fàbregas is a soccer player (midfielder) for Chelsea and the national teams of Spain and Catalonia. He has about 2.88498 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Daniella Semaan .
  • Chris Paul — Chris Paul is a basketball player (point guard) in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers. He has about 2.876 million Instagram followers and is married to Jada Paul (nee Crawley).
  • Mario Gotze — Mario Götze is a soccer player (midfielder) for Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. He has about 2.836 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Ann-Kathrin Brömmel (aka Ann-Kathrin Vida).
  • Carmelo Anthony — Carmelo Anthony is a basketball player (small forward/ power forward) in the NBA for the New York Knicks (prev. Denver Nuggets). He has about 2.609 million Instagram followers and is married to Alani “La La” Anthony (nee Vasquez).
  • Mario Balotelli — Mario Balotelli is a soccer player (striker) in the EPL for Liverpool (prev. Milan and Manchester City), and for the Italy national team. He has about 2.594 million Instagram followers and has had romantic relationships with Raffaella Fico and Fanny Neguesha (engaged in Mar 2013; split in Sep 2014).
  • Wayne Rooney — Wayne Mark Rooney is a soccer player (forward) in the EPL for Manchester United and the England national team. He has about 2.177 million Instagram followers and is married to Coleen Rooney (nee McLoughlin).
  • Sergio Ramos — Sergio Ramos is a soccer player (defender) for Real Madrid and the Spain national team. He has about 2.107 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Pilar Rubio.
  • Steven Gerrard — Steven Gerrard is a soccer player (midfielder) in the EPL for Liverpool and was on the England national team. He has about 1.989 million Instagram followers and is married to Alex Gerrard (nee Curran).
  • Paul George — Paul George is a basketball player (small forward / shooting guard) in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers. He has about 1.905 million Instagram followers and was romantically connected to Callie Rivers (daughter of Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and brother of Clippers point guard Austin Rivers, and who herself has been more recently connected to Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, amongst other basketball players).
  • Stephen Curry — Stephen Curry is a basketball player (point guard) in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors. He has about 1.545 million Instagram followers and is married to Ayesha Curry (nee Alexander).
  • Johnny Manziel — Johnny Manziel is a football player (quarterback) in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns. He has about 1.427 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Colleen Crowley.
  • Nick Young — Nick Young is a basketball player (shooting guard / small forward) in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers (prev. Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards). He has about 1.400 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Iggy Azalea.
  • David De Gea — David De Gea is a soccer player (goalkeeper) in the EPL for Manchester United and the Spain national team. He has about 1.385 million Instagram followers and is in a relationship with Edurne García Almagro.

Top Athletes WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends) on Instagram

The term WAG has its origins in referring to the “wives and girlfriends” of British soccer players, but has since come to apply to the female romantic partners of all athletes. Some WAGs are relative unknowns. Others, like the ones listed below, have their own illustrious careers. Candidacy was considered from over 250 WAGs — any wife or girlfriend of a professional athlete, whether or not they are still romantically involved. Here are the top 20 most popular wives and girlfriends of male athlete on Instagram. (We’ve taken extra effort to verify official accounts via official Twitter accounts, to the best of our ability.)

  • Kim Kardashian — Several years before she married Kanye West (her 3rd husband), reality TV star Kim Kardashian dated NFL running back Reggie Bush. She has about 30.558 million Instagram followers.
  • Rihanna — Between a tumultuous relationship with performer Chris Brown and a dalliance with rapper Drake, singer/ actress Rihanna dated MLB outfielder Matt Kemp, currently of the San Diego Padres, previously with the Los Angeles Dodgers. She has about 17.544 million Instagram followers.
  • Shakira — When Colombian singer/ songwriter/ record producer Shakira isn’t shaking her hips that don’t lie, she spends time in long-term relationships – first with Antonio de la Rúa (son of a former Argentine president) and more recently with soccer player Gerard Piqué Bernabeu (currently with Barcelona). She has about 7.602 million Instagram followers.
  • Bruna Marquezine — Brazilian actress and model Bruna Marquezine has had an on-again, off-again relationship with countryman and soccer player Neymar. She has about 7.503 million Instagram followers.
  • Iggy Azalea — When Australian rapper Iggy Azalea isn’t battling it out with rapper Azealia Banks, she gets fancy and makes it bounce with basketball shooting guard/ small forward Nick Young. She has about 6.972 million Instagram followers.
  • Ciara — When singer/ songwriter/ music producer/ actress Ciara isn’t dating rappers like Bow Wow and 50 Cent, she bets her time on athletes like NBA basketball player Amar’e Stoudemire and NFL quarterback Russell Wilson. She has about 5.516 million Instagram followers.
  • Giselle Bundchen — Brazilian supermodel, actress and producer Gisele Bundchen is famous on her own, and her relationship with actor Leonardo DiCaprio earned them a place in People magazine’s Most Beautiful Couples list (2004), though she also dated a Brazilian actor, a polo player, a surfer and finally settled down to marry New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in 2009. She has about 5.022 million Instagram followers.
  • Jessica Alba — Jessica Alba is of course a successful actress in her own right and doesn’t need to hang off the coattails of a top athlete. Though she did date quite possibly the king of WAGs, Derek Jeter, shortstop for the New Yankees for nearly 20 years (now retired). She has about 4.923 million Instagram followers.
  • Adriana Lima — Victoria’s Secret lingerie model Adriana Lima was married to NBA shooting guard Marko Jaric (last of the Memphis Grizzlies, now playing for Montepaschi Siena), separating in May 2014 after nearly five years. She has about 4.514 million Instagram followers.
  • Victoria Beckham — Before Victoria Beckham married soccer star (now retired) and men’s underwear model David Beckham, she was Victoria Adams, a member of the all-female British pop group The Spice Girls and nicknamed as Posh Spice. She has about 4.071 million Instagram followers.
  • Gabrielle Union — Actress and model Gabrielle Union has a thing for NBA and NFL players, first dating then NBA point guard now coach Jason Kidd while she was reputedly still in high school, then marrying NFL running back Chris Howard in 2001 (who had a very short career with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars) in 2001, and then dating NBA shooting guard Dwayne Wade (Miami Heat) in 2009, with marriage to him in 2014. She has about 3.937 million Instagram followers.
  • Madonna — Singer/ songwriter/ actress/ entertainer Madonna has had a string of high profile relationships, including a tumultuous marriage to actor Sean Penn, a marriage to British film director Guy Ritchie, and somewhere in the midst dating the very colorful, now retired NBA forward Dennis Rodman. She has about 3.720 million Instagram followers.
  • Hilary Duff — Hilary Duff started as a child actress at about age 10, spin that career off to become a singer, dated a couple of singers (Aaron Carter and Joel Madden), married NHL center Mike Comrie (who ended his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins) in 2010, and separated in 2014. She has about 3.492 million Instagram followers.
  • Irina Shayk — Despite her somewhat Brazilian appearance, model/ actress / Sports Illustrated swimsuit model is Russian and her partner from 2010-2015 is Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese soccer player – not Ronaldo, the Brazilian soccer player. She has about 2.812 million Instagram followers.
  • Tyra Banks — Former supermodel Tyra Banks has had a long career reinventing herself multiple times, including as a TV personality, talk show host, author and actress, finding time to fit in relationships musicians (Seal), directors (John Singleton), actors (Will Smith) and athletes (NBA power forward/ center Chris Webber and reputedly hockey player Mark Messier). She has about 2.804 million Instagram followers.
  • Kate Upton — Actress / Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Kate Upton dated MLB pitcher Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers) for several years (ended Jan 2015), despite that her favorite team is the New York Yankees. She has about 2.052 million Instagram followers.
  • Carrie Underwood — American country music singer/ songwriter/ musician/ actress Carrie Underwood has utilized her multiple skills into many music-related awards drew enough attention to attract Canadian NHL center Mike Fisher (then of Ottawa Senators, now of Nashville Predators), whom she married in Jul 2010. She has about 1.969 million Instagram followers.
  • Mariah Carey — Singer/ songwriter/ music producer/ actress Mariah Carey has married to music executive Tommy Mottola and rapper Nick Cannon (separated 2014), though towards the end of her marriage to Mottola, she was dating Yankee shortstop (now retired) Derek Jeter, a favorite athlete of famous ladies. She has about 1.949 million Instagram followers.
  • Naomi Campbell — Naomi Campbell is another supermodel who has reinvented herself several times over, as an author, actress, singer, and reality show TV producer known to have a bit of a temper, which maybe stands in her good stead in her relationships with movie tough guy Robert De Niro and real-life tough guy/ boxer Mike Tyson. She has about 1.720 million Instagram followers.
  • Nicole Scherzinger — Nicole Scherzinger’s claim to fame includes being a member of musical girl group Eden’s Crush and as a member of girl burlesque group/ recording act Pussycat Dolls, leveraging her vocal skills into acting and becoming a TV personality, finding some time for an on-again/ off-again relationship with Formula 1 World Champion race car driver Lewis Hamilton. She has about 1.618 million Instagram followers.