Cristiano Ronaldo’s reply to Lionel Messi’s Instagram post regarding the death of his father, Jorge, has become the most liked comment in the platform’s history. The digital milestone highlights an unprecedented level of online engagement between two football rivals.
The interaction unfolded when Argentina superstar Lionel Messi shared an emotional tribute following the passing of his father, Jorge Messi, at the age of 68. Among the condolences, a message from Cristiano Ronaldo caught the attention of internet users. “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength,” Ronaldo wrote in his reply to Messi’s post, according to reporting by sports.ndtv.com.
That single piece of outreach scaled Instagram’s metrics, nearing 6.5 million likes. Based on sports.ndtv.com, less than three days following its publication, Ronaldo’s response to Messi has accumulated upwards of 6.4 million likes on Instagram at the time of writing.
Surpassing Previous Record-Holders in Platform History
Before this, Ronaldo also held the record for the comment with the most likes, achieved when he sent congratulatory remarks to French forward Kylian Mbappe regarding his transfer to Real Madrid. “My turn to (watch). That comment crossed 6 million likes in late 2025.”
This digital footprint contrasts with other recent online activities involving the Al-Nassr player. Earlier in the summer of 2026, Ronaldo liked an Instagram post from Spanish news channel Espejo Publico, which featured commentary accusing FIFA of corruption during the 2026 World Cup, as reported by ladbible.com. That particular like sparked chatter regarding tournament outcomes following Portugal’s Round of 16 exit.
The Context of Loss and Public Reaction
Messi’s original post laid bare the deep personal toll of losing his father. “Pa, I still can’t believe you’re gone. It’s very hard for me to imagine that I’m not going to see you anymore, that we’re not going to talk anymore. I know you were suffering and that it’s for the best, but you have gone too early. We still had a lot to enjoy together. You were asking me so much to play in the last World Cup, and days before it started, you got worse. It was the first time you weren’t going to be in a tournament,” Messi wrote on Instagram.
The Argentine also expressed doubt about his future in professional sport. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you. I don’t know how to go on. I was just playing football, and now I have a lot of doubts about whether I’m going to keep doing it for a long time. You were by my side from the beginning, and there was so little left until the end. Why couldn’t you hold on a little longer, so we could have reached the finish line together?” Messi further wrote.
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