Cristiano Ronaldo, the famous football player from Portugal, has reached another big milestone. After recently scoring 900 career goals, Ronaldo has now become the first person in the world to have 1 billion followers across all major social media platforms.
The 39-year-old Al-Nassr forward shared his excitement about this achievement through his YouTube channel, which he launched last month. His YouTube channel grew quickly, reaching 15 million subscribers on the first day and more than 60 million subscribers in just one week.
Celebrating his 1 billion followers, Ronaldo said, “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.”
Ronaldo thanked his fans, saying, “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.”
Most of Ronaldo’s followers are on Instagram, where he has 639 million followers.
He also has 170.5 million followers on Facebook, 113 million on X (formerly Twitter), and nearly 10 million followers on Chinese platforms like Weibo and Kuaishou.
His closest football rival, Lionel Messi, is the only other football player with over 500 million followers. Other famous people like Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have fewer followers compared to Ronaldo, with 424 million, 397 million, and 395 million followers on Instagram, respectively.
Ronaldo is currently playing his third season with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, having signed a big contract in 2023 worth $215 million. Besides his football earnings, Ronaldo also made $60 million from endorsements in the past year, making him one of the top earners in sports.
As of 2023, Ronaldo’s total earnings reached $275 million, making him the second highest-paid athlete after golfer Jon Rahm. Ronaldo’s career earnings have reached $1.92 billion, and he is expected to surpass $2 billion soon, joining a small group of athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods who have also crossed that mark.
