Virat Kohli gains 100m Instagram followers, Cristiano Ronaldo leads athletes' list with 266m – in pictures

India captain just the fourth athlete to cross the mark on social media platform

India's Virat Kohli has become just the fourth athlete to gain 100 million followers on Instagram. Reuters

Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo has the most followers on Instagram at a staggering 266 million, as of March 2, 2021. AFP

Barcelona and Argentina legend Lionel Messi - 187 million. AP

Brazil and PSG star Neymar - 147 million. Reuters

NBA star LeBron James - 80.2 million. AFP

English football great David Beckham - 65.4 million. AFP

Brazilian icon Ronaldinho - 53.8 million. Antonie Robertson / The National

Everton's James Rodriguez - 46.5 million. Getty

Real Madrid's Marcelo - 46.3 million. AP

Tottenham's Gareth Bale - 43.6 million. EPA

India captain and star batsman Virat Kohli joined a select group of celebrities as he gained 100 million followers on Instagram.

Kohli is one of the most recognisable names in the world of sport and his brand value is one of the highest on the planet. And it was only a matter of time before he gained a following on social media to match his fame.

Kohli has now crossed the magic mark of 100 million followers on Instagram, becoming just the fourth athlete and 20th celebrity to reach the milestone. His combined presence on social media stands at 176.8 million, with 40.8m followers on Twitter and 36m on Facebook.

A list of the top 10 athletes with most followers on Instagram can be seen in the picture gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.