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The only thing you have in common with a World Cup player is posting it on Instagram right after you get home from a party. Or, in the case of Erling Haaland, you’re still in the dining room after the win.
Football’s biggest players are analyzing the World Cup, their training, and their lives during the six-week tournament via television, and for some, their following has grown into the tens of millions. Their road records, their popularity, and their stories have made them a fixture in the sports world of the World Cup.
Of course, football icons like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Neymar have also seen a huge rise in their Instagram. But the 2026 World Cup was not the first team for these veterans, who have an evergreen culture outside the competition.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at some of the biggest players in the World Cup:
Erling Haaland – Netherlands
The 195-inch (195cm) smart, smart and good-looking Viking has become one of the most loved figures in the World Cup in sports and on the Internet.
The 25-year-old Norwegian striker, like many Gen Z users, seems to be online when he is not leading his country in the new World Cup.
From candid Snapchat stories to Instagram posts after successfully taking a raccoon taxi home on a plane ride home, Haaland has been a hit on TV this World Cup.
It’s all thanks to his precise style, compared to the well-organized accounts that PR companies manage for high-profile personalities.
Of Haaland’s Instagram following of more than 70 million, 29 million were added in the last 30 days, according to analytics tool Social Blade. It is expected to reach 75 million after the World Cup final and about 322 million by the end of the year.
Small Voice – Cape Verde
One of the best stories about the race is about WordsThe Cape Verdean goalkeeper whose heroics kept some of the world’s best teams scoreless against the island nation – both mother finally saw in front of them after receiving a US visa to attend the World Cup.
He jumped, dived and made several saves in Cape Verde’s tournament opener against Spain to end the game in a shocking 0-0 draw. By the time he opened his Instagram a few hours later, his followers had grown from 500,000 to nearly five million.
She currently has 29.3 million followers, and the initial buzz around her still stands as her posts get millions of likes and interactions.
The 40-year-old joked that most people couldn’t pinpoint Cape Verde on the map before the World Cup, but his team’s standings in the group stages and knockout stages helped change that.
Jude Bellingham – England
Good looks, a lovely personality, a Golden Boot contender – is there anything Jude Bellingham isn’t good at? And a massive 50 million Instagram following, of course.
England’s World Cup tour may have ended in disappointment earlier this week, but there is much to be said for the player whose fans chanted “Hey Jude” after leading his side to victory in the previous World Cup stages before losing in the final.
Bellingham, 23, has gained nearly 9 million followers in the past 30 days, according to Social Blade, but her online popularity grew by three million in October, when she opened up about her mental health issues.
Lamine Yamal – Spain
The feeling young has been on the rise ever since he rose to fame two summers ago with Spain’s UEFA 2024 title win, and his social media presence reflects the positive, honest and no-nonsense personality he possesses.
The 19-year-old’s Instagram feed is a mix of post-game photos, brand collaborations, multiple wins and photos with family members sharing a close bond.
His younger brother, Keyne, has been popular at the World Cup, too, with his fun hobbies like shepherding three-year-old Yamal around the stadium or watching him try – and fail – at golf.
The Barcelona striker could see his popularity soar – and his huge Instagram followers, which currently stand at 49.6 million – after this Sunday. World Cup final while Spain will face Messi and Argentina.
Social media has been in the spotlight ever since it started with a viral photo of Messi and Yamal in 2007 at a UNICEF shoot.
Tim Payne – New Zealand
Payne’s viral moment may have come before the World Cup, but it was effective.
The New Zealand defender’s Instagram exploded at the end of May after an Argentinian fan decided he was the most popular player at the World Cup.
Valen Scarsini, known as “elscarso” on Instagram and TikTok, made a video encouraging his audience to give the Wellington Phoenix and All Whites account likes, comments and follows.
Payne’s Instagram following grew from less than 5,000 before the campaign to nearly 5.8 million, making the 32-year-old one of the most unlikely players in the game.
He also talked about the outpouring of love in a video on Instagram, and eventually met Scarsini at the team’s hotel in Boca Raton, Florida, before the World Cup.
