Sports
THE reality is that every footballer has only a limited time to play professionally, with most retiring in their early 30s. However, this doesn’t mean their earnings have to stop. With footballers ranking among the highest-earning athletes on social media, experts at Ticketgum explored how retired footballers could monetise their substantial social media presence.1,2
To do this, researchers collated a seed list of the top players who retired over the past year and acquired their estimated earnings per Instagram post, utilising Influencer Marketing Hub’s social media earnings calculator.
Key Findings:
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic could earn a staggering £160,537 PER Instagram post after retiring!
- Gareth Bale ranks second with a single post worth up to a possible £133,031 on Instagram
- Eden Hazard’s earnings per post are potentially nearly double Brits’ average annual pay (£35k) at £69,016
Top 10 highest-earning recently retired players on Instagram
| Rank | Footballer | Instagram follower count | Estimated Instagram earnings per post (to the nearest £) |
| 1 | Zlatan Ibrahimovic | 64.2 million | £160,537 |
| 2 | Gareth Bale | 53.2 million | £133,031 |
| 3 | Eden Hazard | 27.6 million | £69,016 |
| 4 | Mesut Ozil | 27.3 million | £68,266 |
| 5 | Cesc Fabregas | 15.4 million | £38,509 |
| 6 | Gianluigi Buffon | 11.1 million | £27,757 |
| 7 | Theo Walcott | 3.4 million | £8,502 |
| 8 | Diego Godin | 1.8 million | £4,502 |
| 9 | David Silva | 1.7 million | £4,251 |
| 10 | Fernando Llorente | 1 million | £2,501 |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the highest-earning recently retired footballer on Instagram
Swedish football legend, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, dominates the list, commanding an extraordinary £160,537 expected earnings per Instagram post, a testament to his massive and devoted follower base.
Following closely in second place, the former Welsh captain, Gareth Bale could rake in an impressive £133,031 for each Instagram post, showcasing his enduring popularity even after retiring from professional football.
With a rich history of 16 years and over 700 matches played, former Chelsea player Eden Hazard maintains a robust social media presence, and could potentially earn a notable £69,016 for every Instagram post.
Mesut Osil, the Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, and who recently went viral for his impressive body transformation, could be earning up to £68,266 by keeping his fans up-to-date on Instagram.
From Ibrahimovic’s wit to Bale’s behind-the-scenes glimpses and Hazard’s playful moments, the players strategically leveraged their social media presence, turning it into a lucrative source of income and reaffirming their status as influential figures even after leaving the pitch.
A.
-January 25, 2024 @ 12:55 GMT|
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