Alisha Lehmann has more Instagram followers than Roger Federer

Michelle Hunziker and Xenia Tchoumi are among the Swiss with the most followers on Instagram, but none of them have managed to trump Roger Federer’s number of followers so far. Alisha Lehmann, a footballer who recently caused positive news with her return to the national team, managed this with a new 11.3 million Insta fans.

The 24-year-old has overtaken the tennis legend in terms of Insta followers for a few days. Only the Croatian football star with a Swiss passport Ivan Rakitic has a higher number of followers (17.4 million) on Instagram. Lehmann is also followed by 6.5 million people on Tiktok.

But what is the recipe for success of the footballer, who has been building up a second mainstay through social media for years? “Lehmann masters the mix of private and professional life like almost no other,” explains Caroline Schmidt from the social media agency Monami to 20 minutes. “Authentic insights, football content, humor, but also cleverly used stimuli” ensure that Lehmann was able to build up such a large reach, according to Schmidt.

In the big exclusive interview with 20 minutes, Lehmann explained in the summer of 2021 that football was her top priority and that she didn’t invest more time in social media than others. Schmidt also sees the Aston Villa professional primarily as an athlete and emphasizes the role model that Lehmann plays. “Especially in women’s football, which still has a lot of potential, you can confidently look at her as a pioneer who contributes to raising awareness and motivation – also internationally,” says the social media expert.

According to Schmidt, Lehmann is likely to collect “six-digit sums” with social media every year, with an “increasing tendency”. Due to its wide reach, Lehmann is not only attractive for companies, but also for other football clubs. “Clubs are also noticing more than ever how important online marketing has become,” explains the specialist.

The Nati returnee not only shows herself in a football jersey on her profile, but also in a bikini or in a sexy pose. For Schmidt, the motto “Live and let live” applies here. As long as she can deal with criticism and let prejudices bounce off her, that’s fine.

Schmidt further emphasizes: “Lehmann ideally embodies that a woman should be able to take on any role that she wants and in which she feels comfortable.” The kicker looks as if she can also act quite well by showing private insights in front of an audience of millions.

Lehmann has made headlines in the past with her relationship with Nati teammate Ramona Bachmann and later with Brazil star Douglas Luiz. According to Schmidt, the fact that Lehmann has so many followers is not primarily due to her relationship status or her sporting achievements, but “ultimately solely to herself – and her content strategy”.

Where the limits of the 24-year-old’s social media success would lie is currently not foreseeable. Schmidt believes that Lehmann’s number of followers could increase “exponentially” over the next few years. According to the expert, the soccer player should also break the mark of 16 million followers of tennis icon Serena Williams. Especially if they incorporate even more “interaction-promoting elements” and involve their many fans.