Instagram itself has the most followers in the rankings for September 2026. Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top among individuals. This is not a complete, verified top 20 for all of Instagram. Want to know who has the most followers today? Start with the official profiles, compare the numbers shortly after one another, and note the date and time.
Below, you will find the well known leaders and learn how to compare the numbers yourself.
Which Instagram accounts are at the top in 2026?
Measurement period: September 2026. The table follows the HowSociable Instagram ranking. It is based on Wikipedia and uses rounded figures.
| Position | Account | Profile name | Account type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Platform | ||
| 2 | Cristiano Ronaldo | @cristiano | Footballer |
| 3 | Lionel Messi | @leomessi | Footballer |
| 4 | Selena Gomez | @selenagomez | Artist |
SocialCrawl reported 17 followers for Instagram and 2026 for Cristiano Ronaldo on 686.649.160 September 679.699.906. This comparison contains only 21 selected accounts.
Even a list with exact figures can miss large accounts. The figures above apply to one measurement moment, not all of 2026. The table is therefore not a complete top 20.
Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram
Are you looking for the most followed person? Then Instagram’s own account is not included, and Cristiano Ronaldo is at the top of these rankings. Are you looking for the largest account? Then platforms and brands are included.
The four leaders include two footballers, an artist and Instagram itself. It therefore matters whether you compare individuals or all types of accounts. The table does not show which other brands are in the top 20.
This global ranking also does not tell you who the most followed Dutch or Belgian person is. For that, you need to compare Dutch or Belgian accounts separately. You can read more about the broader topic in accounts with the most followers on Instagram.
How to check current Instagram follower counts
Compare profiles as close together in time as possible. If you use today’s number for one account and last month’s number for another, the difference can be misleading.
- Check the correct profile. Pay attention to the username, so you do not mistake a fan account for the official account.
- Record the number of followers. Copy the number exactly as it appears on the profile.
- Write down the date and time. This way, you will know later when you checked.
- Watch out for rounded figures. A shortened figure is not an exact number. Do not record it as one.
- Compare the same types of accounts. Decide whether you are counting all accounts, or only individuals or brands.
A fictional example: two profiles both show 10,2 million followers. You cannot then see which profile is larger. Because of rounding, the actual figures may differ.
Having many Instagram followers is not the same as having broad reach
Your follower count shows how many accounts follow your profile. Reach means how many different accounts saw a particular post. These are therefore two different things.
A fictional example: you have 800 followers and your photo reaches 250 accounts. That does not mean that 250 of your followers saw the photo. Some of the accounts may not follow you.
Likes indicate something else again. They count an action on a post, not how many different accounts saw it. One photo with many likes also does not show how much attention your other posts receive. You can read more about this in the article about the most liked Instagram post.
This difference is also important if you are considering buying Instagram followers A higher follower count does not guarantee additional reach, genuine attention or customers.
What can you learn from large Instagram accounts?
With a large profile, you can get ideas for your own photos and videos. Do not look only at the follower count, but choose something specific that you can try yourself.
- View five recent posts. Which topics appear more often? Choose a topic that you can also share more often yourself.
- Pay attention to the beginning of a video. Do you immediately understand what you are going to see? Make sure your next video also starts clearly.
- Adapt the idea to your own life. A fictional example: you film a successful shot during your football training. Also briefly show how you practised for it.
- Change one thing at a time. For example, try a shorter opening for your video. Then check whether people keep watching for longer, if you can see that data.
Even if you share photos and videos in the Netherlands or Belgium, you can try out an idea from a large account in this way. Choose something that suits what you like to share yourself. Would you also like to compare different posting times? Then read about the best time to post Reels.