World Cup 2026: Which Players Gained the Most Instagram Followers

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha gained the most Instagram followers of the 2026 World Cup — surging from about 31,000 to roughly 17.2 million after his clean sheet against Spain, a jump of over 17 million. Lionel Messi (+4.5M) and Cristiano Ronaldo (+4.2M) added the most among established stars, while Brazil defender Douglas Santos posted the biggest percentage rise at roughly +1,200%.

The 2026 World Cup group stage turned unknown players into global names overnight — and Instagram follower counts are the clearest scoreboard of that fame. Below are the players who gained the most Instagram followers during the group stage, ranked with the exact figures reported by the sources listed at the bottom of this page.

Most Instagram followers gained — 2026 World Cup group stage

# | Account | Detail | Before | After | Change
1 | Vozinha | Cape Verde 🇨🇻 · Goalkeeper | ~31K | ~17.2M | +17.2M
2 | Lionel Messi | Argentina 🇦🇷 · Forward | — | — | +4.5M
3 | Cristiano Ronaldo | Portugal 🇵🇹 · Forward | ~670M | — | +4.2M
4 | Douglas Santos | Brazil 🇧🇷 · Defender | — | — | ~+1,200%
5 | Ayyoub Bouaddi | France 🇫🇷 · Midfielder | ~135K | ~1.1M | +~965K
6 | Julián Quiñones | Mexico 🇲🇽 · Forward | — | — | +377K (+38.8%)
7 | Tim Payne | New Zealand 🇳🇿 · Defender | — | ~1.5M | 15× the NZ team

How we compiled this

Figures were compiled by Lurk's trend desk from the public reports cited below and each player's public Instagram follower counts during the 2026 World Cup group stage (June–July 2026). Follower counts move fast during a viral surge, so numbers reflect the ranges reported by the cited sources as of July 2, 2026, and are rounded to the precision those sources give. Only public, newsworthy follower data is used — no private-account data.

Frequently asked questions

Which player gained the most Instagram followers at the 2026 World Cup?

Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha gained the most, rising from about 31,000 followers to roughly 17.2 million during the group stage — the biggest Instagram follower gain of any player at the 2026 World Cup.

How many Instagram followers did Vozinha gain?

Vozinha went from about 31,000 followers to roughly 17.2 million. Most of that surge happened in under 24 hours after Cape Verde's 0-0 draw with Spain, where he climbed from about 50,000 to nearly 14 million in a single day.

Why did Cape Verde's goalkeeper go viral on Instagram?

The 40-year-old kept a clean sheet against European champions Spain, securing Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup point on the nation's tournament debut. The underdog story, plus a Brazilian broadcaster urging viewers to follow him, drove the follower explosion.

Did Messi and Ronaldo gain followers during the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. Lionel Messi added about 4.5 million Instagram followers and Cristiano Ronaldo about 4.2 million during the group stage — the largest raw gains among the tournament's established superstars.

How can I see who these players follow on Instagram?

You can track any public Instagram account's following list with a tool like Lurk, which shows who an account recently followed — anonymously and without logging in. It reads only public data, so the account owner is never notified.

Sources

Yahoo — Which World Cup players gained the most Instagram followers after the group stage

Forbes — How this World Cup goalkeeper built a 15 million follower personal brand overnight

ESPN — How the 2026 World Cup's least-known player became a viral sensation

Daily Sabah — From 50K to 10M: Vozinha becomes the World Cup's latest viral star