Top 7 Most Popular Female Footballers on Instagram Including 2023 FIFA WWC Stars

• Female football has been on the rise in the past year with more investment and bigger audienced
• The 2023 Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia has received more support than ever
• Female footballers have also helped themselves with popularity through their use of social media

Female football is growing and fans are becoming more conscious of the sport, as football authorities strive to make it even more prominent with the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

The stars' social media presence also helps the sport's popularity, with many female players wowing their audiences with uploads about their lives both on the pitch and off the field.

Sports Brief looks at the top seven most popular female stars on Instagram, including some 2023 WWC veterans, as first analysed by Planet Football:

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Football

1. Alisha Lehmann

The Aston Villa forward is the most followed female star on the picture-sharing platform, with 13.7 million followers. She opened up on the challenges of being popular on social media to talkSPORT previously, claiming many don't even know she's a footballer despite having photos and video clips of her playing. She's currently with Switzerland at the Women's World Cup.

2. Alex Morgan

The American veteran spent most of her player career in the United States apart from brief spells in France and England with Lyon and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively. The two-time world champion has 10.1mil followers and is part of the USWNT, hoping to win her third crown.

3. Alexia Putellas

The two-time Ballon d'Or winner has 2.9mil followers on IG. The 29-year-old overcame a difficult past year, suffering an ACL injury, to make Spain's squad for this year's world championship. She featured for 13 minutes in Spain's 3-0 win over Costa Rica.

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4. Ana Markovic

Famously referred to as the most beautiful women's footballer by fans on social media, Markovic has 2.8mil followers on Instagram. The Grasshopper star in the Swiss Women's Super League is currently not at the Women's World Cup, with Croatia not qualifying.

5. Marta

The legendary Brazilian is currently at her sixth Mundial, where she is hoping to win the only piece of silverware that has eluded her career at her final attempt. She has 2.6mil followers on Instagram.

6. Norma Palafox

Palafox has 2.4mil followers on Instagram, and she's yet even to make her debut for the Mexican national team. She took a break from football in 2019 to participate in a reality TV show and her following blew up from there. She plays for Cruz Azul in her home country.

7. Megan Rapinoe

A vocal social activist and American legend, Megan Rapinoe, is last on the list with 2.1mil followers. A two-time FIFA Women's World Cup winner and the 2019 Ballon d'Or winner is playing her final tournament this year.

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Marta confirms final World Cup

Sports Brief previously reported that Marta confirmed her last WWC would be this year's tournament as she hopes to capture the last piece of silverware missing from her career.

She has featured in five tournaments and despite being the competition's top scorer with 17 goals, is yet to win with her best outing being a losing attempt to Germany in 2007.