Already have an account?
Get back to the

Cristiano Ronaldo Overtakes Selena Gomez as the Most Followed Instagram User

Cristiano-Ronaldo-Instagram-followers
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates a goal during the UEFA Champions League group H football match Real Madrid CF vs Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on December 6, 2017. JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images

Goal! Cristiano Ronaldo is now the most followed person on Instagram, having recently surpassed Selena Gomez. As of press time, Ronaldo has 144,338,650 followers to Gomez’s 144,321,029.

Related: The Most Influential Celebrities on Social Media

The news comes amid the 26-year-old pop star’s self-imposed exile from social media. “As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given,” Gomez wrote in her most recent Instagram post on September 23, prior to entering treatment for mental health issues.

Related: Selena Gomez’s Mental Health Battle in Her Own Words

Selena-Gomez-instagram-followers
Selena Gomez attends the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

And in an Instagram Live video around the same time, the Disney Channel alum said she pays no mind to her follower count. “None of this matters,” she observed. “I don’t care how many followers I have. I don’t. I don’t care. I could have none tomorrow. Makes no difference. It’s just a number and it’s insane so many people are obsessed with a number. It’s like, chill out.”

Last month, Gomez told Elle she hasn’t been on the internet in “months” and she doesn’t even have her Instagram password. “The reason why is, it’s not real to me,” she explained. “I know my voice is very prominent, but I’m not careless with it. I’m selective … That’s my life. I’m living it the way I want to live it. But it’s about making a conscious effort—if I can have a moment to be with my friends, I’ll take that time. So I don’t have any of it. I had to make that decision.”

Earlier this month, the “Wolves” singer sought help in an East Coast psychiatric facility after a reported emotional breakdown. “Selena is currently resting and getting treatment for a series of panic attacks related to ongoing medical issues,” a source confirmed to Us Weekly at the time. “She’s definitely improving every day … She could come back soon. She’s not in, like, a 30-, 60-, 90-day program. Her treatment is open-ended.”

Related: Justin Bieber Heads to Church With Friends After Ex Selena Gomez Seeks Mental Health Treatment

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, 33, has been in the headlines a lot over the past few months. In July, the soccer star announced he was leaving Real Madrid, his home team for nine years, for a nine-figure contract with Italian football club Juventus. Then, in September, he was accused of rape in a lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada. He has since denied the allegations and said that with a “clear conscience” he will “await with tranquillity the results of any and all investigations.”

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!