Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi Lose Millions of Followers
In a sweeping six-hour cleanup, the platform removed millions of fake accounts, causing Cristiano Ronaldo to shed 18 million followers and Lionel Messi to lose 5 million.
- Publish date: Thursday، 07 May 2026 Reading time: two min read
In a dramatic shake-up of the social media landscape, Instagram executed a massive bot purge that stripped millions of followers from the world's most prominent figures, including football legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Over the course of just six hours, the platform aggressively scrubbed its network of fake and inactive accounts. While Instagram frequently conducts maintenance to combat spam, industry observers note that this latest effort was unusually severe. The cleanup resulted in staggering losses for high-profile celebrities, with many taking to social media to report sudden drops in their follower counts.
At the top of the list was Cristiano Ronaldo, the most-followed individual on the platform. The Portuguese superstar saw his follower count plummet by a monumental 18 million. Despite this significant reduction, Ronaldo remains the platform's most influential figure, currently holding approximately 666 million followers. His presence on the site is a major revenue driver; reports indicate he earns roughly £2.57 million per sponsored post, a figure that has skyrocketed from earlier deals where a fraction of his social output cost just £250,000.
Lionel Messi, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, was not spared from the purge, losing 5 million followers. Neymar also saw his numbers dip by 4 million. The impact extended beyond the football world. Ryan Reynolds, the co-owner of Wrexham AFC, along with entertainers Logan Paul and KSI, lost hundreds of thousands of followers. Even global icons like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who reportedly lost 5 million followers, and political figures such as President Donald Trump and Pope Francis were affected.
Despite the scale of the event, Instagram has not issued an official statement regarding the purge. The incident highlights the volatility of social media metrics, where "vanity numbers" can shift dramatically overnight as platforms prioritize authenticity over inflated engagement. For celebrities whose brand deals are often tied to their follower counts, such purges represent a significant, albeit necessary, correction in the digital economy.
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