The 2026 World Cup may have brought more eyes to football than any other competition in history, as some players have now found out just how popular and well-known they've become.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the most recognisable football stars for the past two decades, have grown in popularity. Meanwhile, young stars like Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham are only growing in stature and notoriety.
But who has risen the most in terms of popularity and fame over the entire course of the 2026 World Cup? Well, Sportico have compiled a list of the 10 players who saw their Instagram following grow the most over the summer.
10. Endrick (Brazil)
Endrick (Brazil)REUTERS/Mike Segar
Endrick wasn't unleashed too often at the 2026 World Cup, but he'll undoubtedly be an important player for Brazil in future tournaments. He netted against Haiti before missing a massive chance in the Round of 16 defeat vs Norway. Despite his disappointing time in America, the Real Madrid youngster still went from 18 million followers to just shy of 24 million.
9. Michael Olise (France)
Michael Olise (France)IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Sam Navarro
Michael Olise surpassed Pele (6) to become the player with the most assists in a single World Cup campaign (7) as France just fell short of achieving a third star on their badge. Nonetheless, the Bayern Munich star captured imaginations, which saw his following grow by 5.7 million over the summer.
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8. Gilberto Mora (Mexico)
Gilberto Mora (Mexico)IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The youngest player on this list, Mexico's Gilberto Mora has already reached stardom in his home country. The 17-year-old was a crucial part of the midfield that reached the Round of 16, and his 7.7 million following will only continue to grow as he does.
7. Lionel Messi (Argentina)
Lionel MessiREUTERS/Amanda Perobelli
Lionel Messi's Argentina went the distance just as they did in 2022, reaching a second consecutive final. However, the South Americans fell just short of the trophy, losing to Spain. Messi played his part in dragging La Albiceleste towards a fourth title, scoring eight goals and setting up another four. He already had more than 500 million Instagram followers before the tournament, and has still managed to attract 7.5 million new fans.
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6. Neymar (Brazil)
Neymar Brazil vs Scotland World Cup 2026REUTERS/Paul Childs/Action Images
Neymar's World Cup was meant to be a fairytale that saw the veteran forward show up on the biggest stage when Brazil needed him for one last time. Instead, his campaign was interrupted by injury, and he was powerless as the Selecao crashed out at the Round of 16. Despite bowing out in floods of tears, the 34-year-old now has over 242 million followers on Instagram after the World Cup.
5. Lamine Yamal (Spain)
Lamine Yamal (Spain)REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
European and now world champion before turning 20, Lamine Yamal has essentially completed international football as a teenager. While he has a long way to go if he's to match Lionel Messi's legacy on the pitch, the Spanish youngster is clearly rising in popularity already; just ask his 11 million new fans.
4. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristiano RonaldoReuters/Maria Lysaker
Cristiano Ronaldo ended up receiving a lot of negativity throughout Portugal's run to the Round of 16. While his days on the pitch are now numbered, the 41-year-old is still the most well-known footballer on the planet. A new 11 million followers is absolutely incredible when considering he already had well over 600 million heading into the tournament.
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3. Jude Bellingham (England)
England's Jude Bellingham celebrates after the match vs DR CongoREUTERS/Paul Childs
To think there were some legitimate calls for Jude Bellingham to be left out of England's squad completely. The Real Madrid superstar forced his way into Thomas Tuchel's XI and proved his doubters wrong with seven goals as the Three Lions finished third. Bellingham's popularity soared throughout the summer, with many believing he was going to be the man to bring football home. He now boasts 53.3 million followers.
2. Vozinha (Cape Verde)
VozinhaBernadett Szabo via Reuters
Cape Verde are one of the biggest success stories of the entire World Cup. Reaching the knockout stages after holding eventual champions Spain to a goalless draw before taking Argentina to extra-time, the story will never be forgotten. A key part of that was 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar Dias, also known as Vozinha. Incredibly, he went from 30,000 followers to 29.4m over the course of the World Cup.
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1. Erling Haaland (Norway)
Erling Haaland in action for NorwayBurt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters
The United States of America fell in love with Norway and more specifically, Erling Haaland. His goalscoring ability was just one of the things that caught the eye of fans from all over the globe. Putting Norway firmly on the radar in international football, Haaland secured an incredible rise of 32 million additional followers, despite already being one of the Premier League's biggest stars.
10 Most Followed Footballers at the 2026 World Cup [Ranked]
Rank
the World Cup|Followers After
the World Cup|Increase|
|1.|Erling Haaland|Norway|40.6 Million|72.7 Million|32.1 Million|
|2.|Vozinha|Cape Verde|30,000|29.4 Million|29.4 Million|
|3.|Jude Bellingham|England|41.3 Million|53.3 Million|12 Million|
|4.|Cristiano Ronaldo|Portugal|665.6 Million|677 Million|11.4 Million|
|5.|Lamine Yamal|Spain|43.3 Million|54.3 Million|11 Million|
|6.|Neymar|Brazil|234.3 Million|242 Million|7.7 Million|
|7.|Lionel Messi|Argentina|506.5 Million|514 Million|7.5 Million|
|8.|Gilberto Mora|Mexico|1.1 Million|7.7 Million|6.6 Million|
|9.|Michael Olise|France|5.2 Million|10.9 Million|5.7 Million|
|10.|Endrick|Brazil|18.3 Million|23.9 Million|5.6 Million|