Cristiano Ronaldo’s move away from Europe still sees him gaining followers on Instagram, with 15 million more joining in 30 days. However, the numbers have dropped for Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, and here is why.
Portuguese sensation Cristiano Ronaldo is done and dusted with his club football career in Europe, as he has moved to Asia, playing for Saudi Arabian giants Al-Nassr. However, despite his European career ending on a sour note, it has not deterred him from gaining new fan-following on social media.
While he is already the most-followed person on Instagram, with 564 million followers, he has gained over 15 million followers over the last month. However, on the other hand, his long-time Argentine rival Lionel Messi has witnessed a drop in his followers, as the FIFA World Cup-winning skipper 5,70,000 in the last 30 days.
With 443 million followers, there are apprehensions about Messi’s future with French champion Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). He has yet to make that significant impact, as it was with Spanish giants Barcelona.
Cristiano Ronaldo had in December 2022 joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a deal that runs until 2025.
The Portugal captain was a free agent after leaving Manchester United following a controversial interview in which he criticised the club.
Ronaldo is reportedly receiving the biggest football salary in history at more than £177m per year.
Al Nassr – nine-time Saudi Pro League champions – described the signing as “history in the making”.
In the summer, Ronaldo turned down a £305m deal to join another Saudi team – Al Hilal – because he was happy at United.
Earlier in November, the striker spoke out in an interview with Piers Morgan for TalkTV in which he said he felt “betrayed” by United, did not respect manager Erik ten Hag and was being forced out of the club.