Cristiano Ronaldo and Leo Messi chase new record beyond football

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have captivated millions worldwide with their remarkable skills and achievements on the soccer field.

Now, both stars are setting their sights on a different arena: Instagram. They are competing to become the first account to surpass the social network’s own official profile, Marca reports.

Throughout their careers, Messi and Ronaldo have often been compared and rivalled on the pitch. But this time, their rivalry extends beyond soccer, as they chase a milestone tied to social media influence.

While they hold numerous records in football, one notable achievement has so far eluded them: being the most-followed account on Instagram.

At the start of the year, Messi and Ronaldo were the two most-followed individuals on the platform, yet Instagram’s official account still leads with 697 million followers. Following that, Ronaldo has 668 million, and Messi has 510 million fans.

This particular record, however, isn’t entirely in the players’ control—it depends on Instagram users worldwide. On the pitch, though, they still have milestones within reach.

Ronaldo is on the verge of becoming the first player to score 1,000 official goals, currently standing at 956. Additionally, if Messi confirms his participation in the upcoming World Cup, both he and Ronaldo could become the only players to compete in six editions of the tournament.

Messi would also captain Argentina in their quest to defend their 2022 World Cup title from Qatar.

The Argentine superstar is already the all-time leader in assists and holds the record for most titles, with 48 trophies. Now, he aims to achieve his dream of winning a second World Cup.

Argentina is drawn into Group J, alongside Austria, Algeria, and Jordan. Their campaign begins against Algeria on June 16, followed by Austria on June 22, and Jordan on Friday, June 26.

Portugal, in Group K, will face Colombia, Uzbekistan, and the winner of the Intercontinental Playoff between Jamaica, Congo, and New Caledonia. Their opening match is on June 17 against the playoff winner, then against Uzbekistan on June 23, and Colombia on June 27.

By Jeyhun Aghazada