Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice, and catheter ablation has become a first-line treatment strategy. Among them, cryoballoon ablation has become a standardized treatment for atrial fibrillation due to its advantages such as short surgical time, short learning curve, and minimal patient pain. Currently, a large amount of clinical practice and research have provided new evidence for cryoballoon ablation as a first-line treatment for atrial fibrillation. Therefore, this article provides a review of the current status of catheter ablation, the current status, challenges faced, and prospects as a first-line catheter ablation strategy for atrial fibrillation of cryoballoon ablation, with the aim of providing reference for cardiologists in clinical decision-making in the initial rhythm control of atrial fibrillation.