Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo Press Association

Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first person with 400 million Instagram followers

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is no stranger to making history. After all, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is widely viewed as one of the greatest footballers of all time. 

As things stand today, Ronaldo can claim GOAT status regarding a category not directly linked with his on-the-pitch performances. 

Per Adriana Garcia of ESPN, Ronaldo is now the first person to have 400 million followers on Instagram. The news comes just two days after CR7 celebrated his 37th birthday, an occasion he commemorated via a post that has thus far received well over 14 million likes.

Per an ESPN piece shared on Jan. 27, Paris Saint-Germain star forward Lionel Messi recently hit 300 million followers on Instagram but is still well off the pace set by his rival in this social media race.

Garcia adds that model and businesswoman Kylie Jenner is between Ronaldo and Messi on the list with 309 million Instagram followers. No other athletes or sports figures are in the top 10 among Instagram's most followed people at this time. 

Ronaldo suggested last month that he could continue playing at the highest level for another five seasons. Perhaps he can become the first individual to hit the billion-follower mark if he's still active in the Premier League in the winter of 2027. 

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