Instagram Purge Costs Ronaldo and Messi Millions of Followers

An aggressive cleanup campaign by Meta, the parent company of Instagram, has wiped millions of followers from the accounts of top sports and entertainment stars. The purge, which targeted fake, inactive, and automated accounts, saw Cristiano Ronaldo lose roughly 6.3 million followers while Lionel Messi’s count dropped by about 4.8 million, according to Spanish newspaper Marca.

Meta stated in an official announcement that it is continuously removing accounts that violate its usage policies, whether they are automated, fake, or dormant. The company’s goal is to curb spam and prevent the artificial inflation of follower numbers.

Despite the significant losses, Ronaldo retains his position as the most-followed athlete on Instagram, with his follower count now standing at 666 million.