How Many Followers Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mbappe Lost After Instagram Bot Purge 2026

Football fans around the world woke up to the surprising news that big-time celebrities had lost millions of followers after a routine platform-wide clean-up by Meta to remove inactive accounts. Several outlets reported that many notable Hollywood stars and models also lost a significant portion of their following after the 'Instagram Bot Purge 2026,' including popular football stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé.

The recent Instagram bot/inactive account purge affected many high-profile users, with losses not reflecting real fans unfollowing but rather inflated counts being adjusted. According to Speedline, Al Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo lost the highest amount of followers following the purge, and the figure is estimated to be around 18 million followers.

Similar to the Portuguese star, Lionel Messi instagram followers have also taken a hit as he reportedly lost 8 million followers from his tally following the Instagram bot purge 2026. The Argentine, who is a former FIFA World Cup winner, earlier had 515 million followers on the social media site, but the purge has left his account with 507 million followers on Thursday.

Another player who took a massive hit to his following was Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe, who lost around 840,000 followers following the Instagram purge. The former PSG attacker has been sidelined through injury, and fewer Mbappe instagram followers got removed following the routine clean-up of inactive accounts by Meta.

What Is Instagram Bot Purge 2026?

The widespread disruption is being attributed by media outlets to be a result of updation by Meta of its content policy. The social media platform is reportedly cracking down on reposting to give more credibility to original posters. The platform has been actively working towards developing spam mitigation features, and the Instagram bot purge of 2026 seems to be part of the grand plan.

Who Is The Most Followed Person On Instagram Following The Purge?

Former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most followed person on the social media platform after the great bot purge of 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo instagram followers and their count remain largely unaffected, and the loss of the bot or inactive accounts will not dent the Portuguese star and his popularity.

As one of the greatest football players of all time, Ronaldo will be able to orchestrate a quick turnaround in June. He will be representing the Portugal National Football Team, in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As the world's game puts on its greatest show for fans in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Saudi Pro League superstar will be keen to impress once again and even fulfill his lifelong dream of lifting the Victory in July 2026.