Haaland, Vozinha, Messi, Ronaldo: Players who gained most followers during World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup did more than create football heroes.

It also transformed players into global social media stars, with millions of fans rushing to Instagram to follow the tournament's biggest names.

While established superstars continued to grow their audiences, several breakout performers enjoyed unprecedented spikes in popularity, according to Goal.com and Sportico.

Vozinha

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as one of the tournament's biggest surprise stories.

Before the World Cup, the 40-year-old had just about 30,000 Instagram followers and was largely unknown outside his home country.

However, his standout performances saw his following explode to 29.43 million by the end of the tournament, an increase of roughly 29.4 million.

Erling Haaland

Despite Vozinha's remarkable rise, Norway striker Erling Haaland recorded the biggest increase in followers.

His Instagram audience grew from 40.6 million to 72.7 million, adding 32.1 million followers.

French outlet RMC reported that Haaland's popularity surged in the United States, where he had been less well known before the World Cup.

His playful personality also won over fans. One viral photo showed him returning to Norway carrying a stuffed raccoon clutching an empty bottle.

Michael Olise

France international Michael Olise was another big winner off the pitch.

The Bayern Munich winger more than doubled his Instagram following after an impressive World Cup campaign, rising from 5.2 million to 10.9 million followers, a gain of 5.7 million.

Jude Bellingham

England midfielder Jude Bellingham also enjoyed significant growth during the tournament.

He added about 11.7 million followers, taking his Instagram audience to around 53 million.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo continued to strengthen his position as the world's most-followed footballer.

He gained about 11.7 million followers during the World Cup, bringing his total to approximately 677.3 million.

Lamine Yamal

Spain teenage sensation Lamine Yamal continued his meteoric rise after helping his country lift the World Cup trophy.

The youngster gained about 9 million followers, taking his Instagram audience to around 52.3 million.

Neymar Jr

Brazil's Neymar Jr also attracted millions of new followers during what was his final World Cup.

He added 8.1 million followers, bringing his total to about 242.4 million.

Lionel Messi

Argentina captain Lionel Messi remained hugely popular despite finishing as runner-up.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner gained about 7.8 million followers, taking his Instagram total to roughly 514.3 million.

Gilberto Mora

Gilberto Mora enjoyed one of the tournament's biggest social media breakthroughs.

He gained about 6.6 million followers, increasing his Instagram audience to around 7.7 million.

Endrick

Brazilian youngster Endrick also experienced rapid growth online.

He added about 5.6 million followers, taking his total to 23.9 million.

Vinicius Jr

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr rounded out the list of major social media winners.

He gained approximately 3 million followers during the World Cup, bringing his Instagram audience to 62.9 million.

The tournament's impact clearly extended beyond the football pitch, as performances, memorable moments and increased global exposure translated into millions of new followers for players across different national teams.