Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi

@leomessi
511.5M followers Sports / Football Argentina
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About

Lionel Messi is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Inter Miami CF and captains the Argentina national team. He is one of the most followed athletes on Instagram, with over 511 million followers as of early 2026. Based in Miami, he combines on‑field success with a global portfolio of brand partnerships and charitable work.

Key facts

  • Messi’s Instagram account had more than 511 million followers between December 2025 and January 2026 (The Handbook).
  • His World Cup celebration post became the most‑liked Instagram post by an athlete, reaching roughly 49.5 million likes (Fox Sports).
  • In February 2017 Messi signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas, reportedly earning £18 million per year (sportskhabri.com).
  • Messi partnered with cryptocurrency exchange BitGet in October 2022 to promote Web 3.0 trading for his fans (sportskhabri.com).
  • He has been an ambassador for PepsiCo since 2013 and featured in a global Lay’s campaign beginning in early 2014 (sportskhabri.com).

Brands

Adidas Messi signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Adidas in February 2017, reportedly earning £18 million annually (sportskhabri.com).
Lay’s PepsiCo’s potato‑chip brand featured Messi in a global integrated marketing campaign starting early 2014 (sportskhabri.com).
Ethernity Partnered with Messi in August 2021 to launch the NFT collection “The Messiverse” and a follow‑up World Cup NFT experience in November 2022 (sportskhabri.com).
Sorare Messi became an investor and brand ambassador for the blockchain fantasy‑football platform Sorare in November 2022 (sportskhabri.com).
Apple Music Hosted the interview with Messi and Zane Lowe that was uploaded to YouTube (Apple Music interview).
eFootball Messi is associated with the video‑game franchise formerly known as Pro Evolution Soccer (sportskhabri.com).
Pro Evolution Soccer Former name of the eFootball franchise linked to Messi (sportskhabri.com).

People

Lionel Messi Argentine footballer, subject of the profile, with over 511 million Instagram followers.
Cristiano Ronaldo Mentioned as the most‑followed athlete on Instagram, with Messi ranked second (Fox Sports, Times of India).
Antonela Roccuzzo Messi’s wife; appeared with him and their three sons in a New Year’s 2026 Instagram post (The Handbook).
Zane Lowe Conducted an Apple Music interview with Messi that was posted on YouTube (Apple Music interview).
Virat Kohli Cited alongside Messi as one of the most influential athletes on Instagram in 2025 (Times of India).

Companies

PepsiCo Messi has been an ambassador for PepsiCo since 2013, appearing in its advertising campaigns (sportskhabri.com).
BitGet Cryptocurrency exchange that announced a collaboration with Messi in October 2022 to introduce fans to Web 3.0 trading (sportskhabri.com).
SORARE SAS Parent company of the Sorare platform that onboarded Messi as an ambassador (sportskhabri.com).
Inter Miami CF Messi’s current club in the United States, referenced in multiple sources discussing his influence (Business Upturn, Stack Influence).

Publications

Barcauniversal.com Cited as the source for Messi’s follower count in the Business Viewpoint Magazine ranking (Business Viewpoint Magazine).
Business Upturn Published analysis of Messi’s global influence empire and Instagram reach (Business Upturn).
Business Viewpoint Magazine Listed Messi among the top 50 Instagram accounts with 510 million followers (Business Viewpoint Magazine).
Times of India Featured Messi in a 2025 article on the most influential athletes on Instagram (Times of India).
Fox Sports Reported on Messi’s record‑breaking World Cup Instagram post and follower milestones (Fox Sports).
Collabstr Included Messi in its list of top 15 sports influencers on social media (Collabstr).
Stack Influence Ranked Messi as the second‑most followed athlete on Instagram, noting his brand partnerships (Stack Influence).
The Handbook Provided analysis of Messi’s recent Instagram activity and contact information (The Handbook).
sportskhabri.com Detailed Messi’s earnings, endorsements, investments and charity work, including deals with Adidas, PepsiCo, BitGet, Ethernity and Sorare (sportskhabri.com).
Augmented Edutech Published articles on Messi’s inspirational story and his foundation’s charitable initiatives (Augmented Edutech).
Influencer Marketing Hub Cited an estimated $2.5 million price tag for a Messi Instagram endorsement post (Stack Influence source).
ESPNFC Provided a follower‑count update for Messi in September 2025 (Times of India citation).

Other

Instagram Messi’s primary social‑media channel, where he posts match highlights, family moments and brand collaborations, amassing over 511 million followers (The Handbook, Business Upturn).
YouTube Hosts Messi‑related video content such as the Apple Music interview and various fan‑generated clips (multiple YouTube links).
Messi Foundation Charitable arm of Messi that supports health, education and social‑development projects (Augmented Edutech).