Cristiano Ronaldo and MrBeast's YouTube collab misses 'internet-breaking' expectations

Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest YouTube collaboration with MrBeast, hyped as an "internet-breaking" moment, has failed to meet the sky-high expectations set by fans and the Portuguese football star himself. 

A few days ago, Ronaldo teased fans with the promise that his next guest would “break the internet.” Naturally, many assumed this would be a historic pairing with Lionel Messi. Instead, the featured guest turned out to be MrBeast, the world’s most-followed YouTuber with 331 million subscribers.

In a video titled "I Meet MrBeast to Break the Internet!!", the duo delved into a range of topics, including their careers, personal milestones, and social media dominance. 

MrBeast kicked off the conversation by asking Ronaldo, “What did you think when I started my channel?” before diving into the possibility of the football icon sharing the field with his son someday. 

Ronaldo responded, “It’s amazing to see LeBron doing that! As for me, we’ll see. My son is just 14, but maybe when he’s older, he’ll join me on the pitch. I might play for as long as I can.”

The exchange also featured some awkward moments, when MrBeast showed Ronaldo his extreme challenges—burying himself alive for a week and spending seven days in solitary confinement. 

Ronaldo’s reaction? “You’re crazy! I can’t imagine being stuck in a coffin for a week.” The conversation took another humorous turn when MrBeast joked, “Cristiano, you’re almost 40—about to die,” to which the football legend laughed and said, “I want to keep playing for as long as I can. I want to be like LeBron James—playing into my 40s.”

One of the more awkward topics arose when MrBeast asked if Ronaldo ever flies commercial. 

Ronaldo admitted, “I haven’t flown commercial in years. I can’t imagine the chaos if I did.” MrBeast quipped, “Oh, I’d pay to see that! Imagine Ronaldo flying commercial with glasses on. The entire plane would turn into a photo booth!”

Despite their camaraderie, the video fell short of expectations. Many fans had anticipated Lionel Messi as the guest, given Ronaldo’s earlier teaser videos. 

While the collaboration garnered one million views within 30 minutes, its growth soon tapered, reaching 17 million views after 18 hours—far below the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer’s 90 million views within 24 hours.

Still, the conversation was peppered with insights about their future plans. MrBeast expressed admiration for Ronaldo’s journey and asked about his social media milestones. “When you hit a billion followers across everything, how did you feel?” he inquired. 

Ronaldo replied, “It felt great, but honestly, not surprising. I know the passion people have for me and football. It’s been an amazing journey.”

Fans were quick to share their reactions, with some expressing disappointment. "Many fans were expecting Messi," shared an insider. "When the announcement didn’t align with their hopes, engagement waned." MrBeast even joked during the video, "Cristiano, you’re almost 40—about to die,” prompting laughter from the football icon. The YouTuber also encouraged Ronaldo to collaborate with iShowSpeed, a dedicated fan, or Lionel Messi to truly break the internet.