Portugal and Manchester United legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first person to hit 500 million followers on Instagram.
His followers on Instagram heightened after his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan last week.
The 37-year-old United beleaguered striker slammed virtually everyone involved with the Red Devils, including the coach, saying that he had “no respect” for Erik ten Hag.
The five-time Ballon d’Or holder also aimed at his former United teammates Rooney and Gary Neville, calling the DC United coach, Wayne Rooney a rat and accusing the former England star of having an unhealthy jealousy over him.
While the controversial interview has seen the Portuguese national team captain as a bad egg among Manchester United realms and fans, including the wider world of football, the bombshell interview appeared to have put Ronaldo at the center of attention.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s Instagram followers have been boosted by his search for his controversial saga.
Ronaldo has been below his normal standard all season in terms of his unsatisfactory performance on the pitch and has scored only one Premier League goal for the Red Devils despite playing 520 minutes in all ten appearances.
Likewise, his six appearances in the Europa League campaign are nothing to write home about. Ronaldo has only managed to score two goals in the Europa League against FC Sheriff.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo was suspended and didn’t feature in the Premier League 1-1 draw clash against Chelsea after refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham last month.
The 37-year-old Portuguese star claimed during the interview with British journalist Piers Morgan that he felt “provoked” by the United boss’s decision to render him redundant at the club.
The former Real Madrid legendary forward Ronaldo eventually felt compelled to air his grievances in an interview which landed him in trouble, with Manchester United currently reviewing their legal options in the matter with the prospect of ousting him from Old Trafford.
However, that is unlikely to concern the Portuguese striker too much and instead of what could have been a decline in his companion list, his brand has been boosted by the search for his viral controversy.
At 500 million followers, Ronaldo comfortably becomes the first person to have the highest follower as well as more than 105 million followers on Twitter.
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is in second place on the list of most followed person on Instagram as he currently has 377 million Instagram followers.
Kylie Jenner (372 million), Selena Gomez (357 million), and Dwayne Johnson (348 million) round out the top 5.
Following Ronaldo’s bombshell interview last week after being reduced to a peripheral role at United, the Portuguese superstar is likely to have his contract terminated at Old Trafford, which would be mutual since he had wanted to leave the club.
However, there may not be a club in Europe willing to sign him, but Ronaldo’s significance as a celebrity is undeniable.
While there had been speculations that his acrimony with Manchester United might infiltrate the Portugal national team, Ronaldo debunked this on Monday, November 21.
The 37-year-old Portugal captain said his row with Manchester United would not hurt the Portugal team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Ahead of Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday, Ronaldo, at a press conference in the Portuguese camp said: “I have no doubt that this recent episode, that interview, and other episodes with other players that happen sometimes, can sometimes shake the player but won’t shake the team.”
Ronaldo couldn’t feature in the international friendly between his side and the Nigeria Super Eagles following stomach discomfort.
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is expected to be seen in a grand style as Portugal will play their World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday, November 24, at 17:00 BST.
