Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have banked over £1million through Instagram during lockdown to top up their salaries

Lockdown life has been a trying time for everyone for a variety of reasons, including in a financial sense.

However, a number of sports stars have still found ways to rake the cash in through this unpredictable period.

It was revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have shared the stage at the top of football for over a decade, have earned the most money through Instagram over the past year.

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And perhaps it's no surprise they top the charts when it comes to what athletes have been earning during the lockdown period, Juventus star Ronaldo ahead of the Barcelona icon, according to research by .

Just behind Messi is his former Barca teammate and Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar, who has also earned north of the £1million mark through the social networking site during lockdown.

In fourth, there's basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal with over £500,000, while Dwayne Wade is in the top ten.

Footballers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Dani Alves are also in there as is ex-footballer David Beckham.

Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua squeezes into the charts in tenth, while Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is sixth.

Below you can see how much the top ten athletes have earned during the lockdown period.

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Ronaldo is not the top-earning celebrity through Instagram during lockdown though, that prize goes to Hollywood actor and comedian Kevin Hart, who's understood to have scooped £2,733,377.

Messi is only fourth with American model, socialite and entrepreneur Blac Chyna in third.

Ellen DeGeneres and Priyanka Chopra are ahead of O'Neal, while Katy Perry is marginally ahead of Beckham, who is tenth.