Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first person to surpass a total of 1 billion followers across his various social media accounts.
This milestone is calculated by aggregating his followers on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Chinese platforms Weibo and Kuaishou.
While this total does not represent a billion unique individuals, as many followers may overlap across platforms and some accounts may be fake or bots, it remains a significant achievement.
Social media expert Paolo Pescatore from PP Foresight has called it a “staggering number,” highlighting its importance for media and brands.
“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”, he told the BBC.
On the pitch, Ronaldo was famed for his rivalry with Argentinian star Lionel Messi.
But off it, there is no competition for who is winning the social media contest – Messi has a mere 623 million followers.
Some of the other celebrities with the biggest presence on social media are:
- 690m: Selena Gomez, actor/singer
- 607m: Justin Bieber, singer
- 574m: Taylor Swift, singer
Other prominent figures explored by the BBC include The Rock with 557 million followers, Kylie Jenner with 551 million, and Ariana Grande with 508 million.
MrBeast, the leading YouTuber globally, has amassed 543 million total followers. In contrast, WWE, which is often regarded as having a significant social media presence, has achieved only a quarter of Cristiano Ronaldo’s combined follower count, with 268 million.
Ronaldo reached this milestone in part due to his recent decision to join YouTube, where his channel quickly soared to 50 million subscribers within just one week.
Currently, his channel features primarily discussions between Ronaldo, his wife Georgina Rodríguez, and his former Manchester United teammate Rio Ferdinand.
Ronaldo announced this achievement through a post shared across his various social media accounts.
View this post on Instagram
Cristiano Ronaldo has built his career on breaking records.
His achievements include being the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League, holding the record for most goals in the European Championship, and making more international appearances than any other player.
Last week, he became the first footballer to score 900 top-level career goals.
In addition to his playing career, Ronaldo still has potential to enhance his social media presence, as he is not yet active on TikTok or Threads, unlike some of his competitors.
These accomplishments contribute to another area where he leads: earnings. According to Forbes, Ronaldo’s total earnings have reached $260 million, the highest of any athlete.