World Cup goalkeepers and Haaland saw biggest Instagram growth

During the 2026 World Cup, Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha and Norwegian striker Erling Haaland emerged as the biggest social media influencers on Instagram, according to a study by Francesc Pujol, a professor at the University of Navarra. The report analyzed over 1,200 players, correlating their social media growth with on-field performance and commercial value.

Haaland led in absolute follower gains, adding 34.5 million new followers to reach 75.3 million after guiding Norway to the quarterfinals. Vozinha, however, achieved the most significant percentage increase. Starting the tournament with only 46,000 followers, the Colo Colo goalkeeper gained nearly 30 million followers, representing an astonishing growth of over 60,000 percent, largely due to his standout performances against Spain and Argentina.

Spanish player Lamine Yamal secured third place with over 14 million new followers. Lionel Messi, despite leading Argentina to victory, ranked sixth, as his 8.5 million new followers constituted less than two percent of his already massive following. The study also highlighted that while forwards generally command higher commercial impact, Vozinha's exceptional growth defied this trend. Among clubs, Manchester City saw the largest follower increase from its World Cup participants, primarily due to Haaland.