Ronaldo first to hit 1 billion social media followers; here are the Top 5

Portuguese soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has created history by being the first person in the world to accumulate one billion followers on social media.

He has reached this mind-boggling figure across his various social media accounts. It is calculated by adding his total number of followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and the Chinese social media sites Kuaishou and Weibo.

What helped him reach the record number was his decision to launch his YouTube channel last month. The channel acquired a staggering 10 million subscribers on the first day, 50 million subscribers in one week after the launch, and now has about 60 million subscribers.

There is one caveat though. This figure does not equate to one billion individual followers, because there is duplication. Some fans follow him on multiple social media platforms. Some will also be fake accounts, called bots.

However, nothing can take away from this amazing achievement by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Heartfelt tribute

“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,” Ronaldo posted on X.

“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,” he wrote.

“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,” wrote Ronaldo.

“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,” the Portuguese footballer concluded.

Records galore

Creating records has become a habit for Cristiano Ronaldo. And this is just the latest one from him.

Ronaldo is the top scorer in UEFA’s Champions League history, with 140 goals from 183 appearances. He is the only player to score in three finals. He received a special award from UEFA in August for his record-breaking feats.

He has scored the most number of goals in the European Championship.

He has made more international appearances than any other footballer, playing for his country Portugal.

Just last week, he became the first footballer to score 900 top-level career goals.

According to Forbes, he is the athlete with the highest total earnings - $260 million.

How numbers add up

Ronaldo has reached this latest milestone with 639 million followers on Instagram, 170.5 million on Facebook, 113 million on X, 60.6 million on YouTube, and the remaining on the Chinese platforms Kuaishou and Weibo.

Gomez distant second

A distant second, in terms of social media followers, is the US pop star and actress Selena Gomez, with 690 million followers.

In third place is his fiercest competitor on the football field for the past 15 years or more – the Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, with 623 million followers.

Justin Bieber, the Canadian singer and teen-sensation, comes next with 607 million followers, followed by Taylor Swift, the popular American singer, with 574 million followers.

What next?

In terms of social media followers, Ronaldo has scope to increase the number if he joins TikTok or Threads.

As far as his football career is concerned, he has dismissed suggestions that he might end his international career in the near future, after he experienced a drought in the 2024 European Championship.

“When the time comes, I’ll move on. It won’t be a difficult decision to make,” he said.

“But I will go with a clear conscience, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I do, and what I will continue to do,” said 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo.

His legion of fans will root for him to continue entertaining them with his exploits on the football field for several more years.