Lamin Yamal shakes Ronaldo’s throne in “social media”

Detect platformFootball BenchmarkOn the list of the top ten players with the highest growth in terms of number of followers across social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, and Weibo), during the period from December 13, 2024 to December 13, 2025.

Barcelona’s young Spanish star, Lamine Yamal, topped the list by a wide margin, achieving an absolute growth of 38.6 million new followers.

The numbers were not limited to the total number only, but Yamal recorded an amazing relative growth rate of +58%, which reflects its overwhelming popularity that exploded during the last year.

Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo came in second place with a growth of 21.7 million followers. Although his relative growth rate was the lowest on the list (+3%), this is due to the huge fan base he already has.

Below is a review of the most prominent figures included in the report:

Pedri (Barcelona): achieved the highest relative growth rate on the list at +78% (11.4 million new followers).

Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid): ranked fourth with a growth of 10.4 million followers.

Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid): He recorded an increase of 7.4 million followers.

Rafinha (Barcelona): saw a huge jump of +66% (6.5 million followers).

Argentine star Lionel Messi was not absent from the scene, coming seventh with an increase of 6.1 million followers. The list also included the duo of the English Premier League and the English national team, Marcus Rashford, with an increase of 5.5 million, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who closed the list with an increase of 4.6 million, and a strong relative growth of +39%.