Ronaldo scores another first, hits 1bn social media followership

By Enyeh Julius Akpovire

Portuguese footballer and Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has broken the record by celebrating 1 billion followers across all his social media platforms.

The 39-year-old Al-Nassr forward took to his Instagram handle on Thursday to share the news, thanking his supporters for believing in him through “all the highs and the lows”.

Ronaldo also reflected on his journey from a young boy in Madeira to becoming “one of the greatest players of all time”.

“From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I’ve always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.

“You’ve been with me every step of the way. This journey is our journey, and together, we’ve shown that there are no limits to what we can achieve.

“Thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life. The best is yet to come, and we’ll keep pushing, winning, and making history together,” he wrote.

As it stands, Ronaldo is the most-followed person on social media with 638 million followers on Instagram, 113 million on X, Facebook 170+ million, and over 60 million followers on YouTube.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player has won five Ballon d’Or awards, three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards, and four European Golden Shoes, the most by any European player.

Ronaldo has also scored 895 senior career goals and is the leading all-time goal-scorer in the world.

According to the latest issue of Forbes, Ronaldo is also the highest-paid athlete in the world in 2024 with an estimated total earnings of $260 million.