Ronaldo hits 1bn social media followers
September 13, 2024
Portugese footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, has reached 1 billion total followers across his various social media accounts – making him the first peron in the world to do so.
The number is calculated by combining his total number of followers across Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Weibo and Kuaishou. It does not equate to 1 billion individual followers, as many will follow Ronaldo across multiple platforms – and some will also be fake accounts.
Nonetheless social media expert Paolo Pescatore, from PP Foresight, described it as a “staggering number” that media and brands would pay close attention to. “What an achievement, and it further underlines the fundamental shift taking place in media” [it showed] “the power to reach new, younger audiences thanks to technology”, Pescatore told the BBC.
Rival Argentinian football, Leonel Messi, has 623 million followers in comparison. Other notable names include Taylor Swift with 574 million followers, Jimmy ‘MrBeast’ Donaldson with 543 million and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson with 557 million.
Ronaldo, who currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, was aided in reaching the milestone via his new YouTube channel which went went live in August and attracted 50 million subscribers within a week.
In announcing the milestone, Ronaldo said on X: “We’ve made history — 1 BILLION followers! This is more than just a number – it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond. 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, through all the highs and the lows. 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.“