Lionel Messi, the celebrated footballer and winner of the 2022 World Cup and eight Ballon d’Or titles, has reached a new high point in his career, albeit in the social media sphere.
Over the past weekend, Messi’s Instagram follower count hit the 500 million mark. Before this achievement, he was already the third most followed individual on the platform, trailing behind only Instagram’s official account and his well-known football adversary, Cristiano Ronaldo.
In addition to his accolades on the pitch, Messi boasts the highest number of Instagram followers for any individual residing in the United States, a feat he accomplished as the star player of the MLS team, Inter Miami.
Lionel Messi now has 500 million followers on Instagram, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo
Instagram’s own account holds the record for the highest number of followers, standing at 669 million. However, Cristiano Ronaldo, the renowned Portuguese footballer, surpasses Messi with a follower count of 662 million, making him the most followed person on Instagram.
But Messi fans have something to celebrate over Ronaldo’s – Messi’s post commemorating Argentina’s World Cup victory in Qatar in December 2022 holds the record for the most-liked post in the history of Instagram, with over 75.5 million likes. Reaching the 500 million followers mark is indeed a significant achievement for Messi.
Do check out: Top 10 Most Followed Instagram Accounts in 2024! Must Know These Inspiring Elites