Argentina captain Lionel Messi reaches 500 million Instagram followers as he continues to shine in MLS.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup hero added another achievement to his illustrious career as his Instagram account reached 500 million followers.
This makes him the second person in the world to reach this milestone, joining his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has 622 million followers.
On Wednesday night, February 21, Inter Miami defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 in the kickoff of the MLS season.
All eyes were on Messi, who contributed to both of Miami's goals on and off the field. He has proven that he is in prime form and adding more value to the team and the league in terms of international exposure.
His impressive achievements have boosted his followers on Instagram. Messi is now the third-most followed account on the platform, just behind Instagram and Ronaldo.
Instagram’s account has the most followers with 669 million, but Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most followed person on Instagram with 662 million followers.
Messi also holds the record for having the most followers of anyone living in the United States, as the star of Inter Miami's MLS soccer team.
20% of the 2.5 billion monthly active Instagram user base now follow Messi, giving him more followers than all NFL players combined and the cumulative total of the 154 teams in the five major U.S. sports leagues, according to brand data platform KORE.
Messi holds the record for the most-liked post in Instagram history, with over 75.5 million accounts liking his World Cup celebratory post after leading Argentina to the title in Qatar in December 2022.
In November and December of 2022, he gained 49 million new followers, bringing his total to over 400 million on Instagram.
Messi has a predominantly male Instagram following, with 72% of his followers being men and 85% under 34 years old.
According to KORE, his top countries for followers are Brazil (12%), India (8.1%), Argentina (6.5%), and the United States (6.2%), with 30% being English speakers.
Ranked third in Sportico's list of the 100 highest-paid athletes of 2023, the 36-year-old Argentine has earned $130 million, with $65 million coming from sponsors. Throughout his career, he has accumulated nearly $1.4 billion from salaries, bonuses, and endorsements.
Instagram: 669 million
Cristiano Ronaldo: 662 million
Lionel Messi: 500 million
Selena Gomez: 429 million
Kylie Jenner: 400 million
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: 397 million
Ariana Grande: 380 million
Kim Kardashian: 364 million
Beyoncé: 320 million
Khloe Kardashian: 310 million
Messi's next football appearance will be for Inter Miami in the 2024 MLS season against Orlando City at Chase Stadium on Saturday, March 2. The match will kick off at 10:30 pm.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup hero added another achievement to his illustrious career as his Instagram account reached 500 million followers.
This makes him the second person in the world to reach this milestone, joining his longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who currently has 622 million followers.
On Wednesday night, February 21, Inter Miami defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0 in the kickoff of the MLS season.
All eyes were on Messi, who contributed to both of Miami's goals on and off the field. He has proven that he is in prime form and adding more value to the team and the league in terms of international exposure.
His impressive achievements have boosted his followers on Instagram. Messi is now the third-most followed account on the platform, just behind Instagram and Ronaldo.
Instagram’s account has the most followers with 669 million, but Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most followed person on Instagram with 662 million followers.
Messi also holds the record for having the most followers of anyone living in the United States, as the star of Inter Miami's MLS soccer team.
20% of the 2.5 billion monthly active Instagram user base now follow Messi, giving him more followers than all NFL players combined and the cumulative total of the 154 teams in the five major U.S. sports leagues, according to brand data platform KORE.
Messi holds the record for the most-liked post in Instagram history, with over 75.5 million accounts liking his World Cup celebratory post after leading Argentina to the title in Qatar in December 2022.
In November and December of 2022, he gained 49 million new followers, bringing his total to over 400 million on Instagram.
Messi has a predominantly male Instagram following, with 72% of his followers being men and 85% under 34 years old.
According to KORE, his top countries for followers are Brazil (12%), India (8.1%), Argentina (6.5%), and the United States (6.2%), with 30% being English speakers.
Ranked third in Sportico's list of the 100 highest-paid athletes of 2023, the 36-year-old Argentine has earned $130 million, with $65 million coming from sponsors. Throughout his career, he has accumulated nearly $1.4 billion from salaries, bonuses, and endorsements.
Top 10 most followed accounts on Instagram:
Instagram: 669 million
Cristiano Ronaldo: 662 million
Lionel Messi: 500 million
Selena Gomez: 429 million
Kylie Jenner: 400 million
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: 397 million
Ariana Grande: 380 million
Kim Kardashian: 364 million
Beyoncé: 320 million
Khloe Kardashian: 310 million
What's next?
Messi's next football appearance will be for Inter Miami in the 2024 MLS season against Orlando City at Chase Stadium on Saturday, March 2. The match will kick off at 10:30 pm.