Revealed: Lionel Messi Instagram earnings $200m more than MLS rivals as Inter Miami superstar leaves LA Galaxy striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez trailing in his wake

The Argentine superstar is now the biggest show in U.S. soccer, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner completing a stunning switch to Inter Miami. He has helped to raise the profile of the domestic game in America, with A-list guests flocking to watch him in action as ticket prices soar each and every time that he takes to the field.

Messi is a marketing dream, and he is taking full advantage of that on social media. A study from Betting.com has revealed that the 2022 World Cup winner is averaging $4.9m (£4m) for every sponsored post on Instagram. Those figures leave him on course to earn $206.6m (£170m) for the calendar year of 2023.

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To put those numbers into context, LA Galaxy striker Chicharito sits second on the MLS Instagram earning list, but the Mexico international gets $62,500 per post and a little over $1m in total. Lorenzo Insigne occupies third spot on £22,450 and $134,700 respectively.

Messi has 485m followers on Instagram and earns more per post than leading other figures in American sport. NBA superstar LeBron James gets $1.6m per sponsored post, while NFL legend Tom Brady comes in at $147,000. Messi’s boss in Florida – Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham – averages $841,000 from his social media activity, with the Manchester United and England icon set to pull in $15.1m (£12m) from Instagram in 2023.