Cristiano Ronaldo Opens A YouTube Channel And THIS Happens

This swift rise in subscriber count highlights Ronaldo’s ability to leverage his global fame effectively in the digital realm, setting a high bar for celebrity-driven YouTube ventures.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the most followed person on social media (917 million followers across various platforms and counting) and considered by many to be one of the greatest soccer players of all time, is taking over YouTube now.

The channel, called 'UR', will see the 39-year-old, who currently captains both Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and the Portuguese national side, discuss his “greatest passion” (soccer), according to the news announcement, as well as “his other interests, including family, wellness, nutrition, preparation, recovery, education, and business.” It will also see Ronaldo chat with various guests.

After uploading the first video on 21 August, the Ronaldo's channel reached one million subscribers in just an hour and a half, making it the fastest to do so on the platform.

The video, which is just over a minute long, shows footage at the Times Square event unveiling his wax figure for Madame Tussauds, in 2022.

YouTube was quick to recognise his success: the same day he uploaded his first video, the player shared another one in which he shows his children the Gold Creator Award, a plaque that the platform gives to creators who reach one million subscribers.

This unusual speed has led social media users to wonder whether he received this recognition before he even opened the channel.

“It's a way for me to be closer to my fans, to my people. I think it's an ideal platform to be able to share a bit of my life, my things; very organic, original content,” Ronaldo says in one of his videos with his partner, the Spanish supermodel and social media influencer Georgina Rodríguez.

Those expecting to see the football star doing IRL around Riyadh will be disappointed. Far from an intimate atmosphere, some of the content looks more like promotional campaign spots than personal stories.

“I am very happy to make this project come to life,” said Ronaldo. “It has been in my mind for a long time but finally we have the opportunity to make it real. I have always enjoyed having such a strong relationship with fans on social media and my YouTube channel will give me an even bigger platform to do so and they will learn more about me, my family, and my views on many different subjects. I am also looking forward to sharing conversations with guests that will no doubt surprise people!”

In other videos, Ronaldo is shown playing football and tennis with his children, or talking about issues such as self-improvement or pressure, albeit with archive footage.

US youtuber MrBeast is the most followed on YouTube, with 308 million subscribers.

Two days after the launch, and breaking another record, 'UR' had more than 30 million subscribers, with one video having already surpassed 10 million views. One enterprising YouTuber has already started a video featuring live updates of both Ronaldo and MrBeast’s sub counts.

It is yet to be seen whether the Euro's all-time top scorer will overtake him. For now, he is encouraging people to help him do so with a ‘SIUUUbscribe!’.