Cristiano Ronaldo emerged as one of the biggest social media winners of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing fourth among the tournament’s top Instagram gainers. The Portugal star added 11.4 million followers despite his country failing to reach the latter stages.
Ronaldo also sparked controversy after his verified account appeared to endorse a post accusing FIFA of favoring Argentina at the competition.
Overall, Norway striker Erling Haaland led all other players at the World Cup in growth of IG numbers, as he added a whopping 32.1 million followers to his audience.
Cristiano Ronaldo may already be the most-followed athlete on Instagram, but the Portuguese icon still proved the FIFA World Cup could grow even the biggest global brands.
At the just-concluded global soccer showpiece, Ronaldo finished fourth among the tournament’s biggest Instagram gainers. According to a Sportico analysis of social media growth during the World Cup, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner added 11.4 million followers during the 38-day competition to climb from 665.6 million to a staggering 677 million.
This boost represented a relatively modest 1.71% increase compared to that of the tournament’s breakout stars, but it was still enough to place Ronaldo behind only Erling Haaland, Vozinha, and Jude Bellingham in total followers gained after the tournament.
The continued social media dominance by the Al-Nassr forward stands out even more when you consider Portugal failed to reach the latter stages.
Erling Haaland Outpaces Every World Cup Star In IG Gains
Ronaldo may have added another 11.4 million followers, but he was comfortably outpaced by Haaland, who topped the rankings after gaining 32.1 million during the tournament.
The Norway striker’s following reportedly surged from 40.6 million to 72.7 million, representing an increase of roughly 80%. His quirky and playful posts also helped introduce his personality to a wider American audience as Norway reached the quarterfinals.
Days after being knocked out of the tournament by England, Haaland was spotted partying with Michele Morrone at a Dolce & Gabbana event in Italy, as reported by The Blast.
Haaland Became A Fan Favorite As He Embraced American Culture
On the pitch, Haaland finished the tournament with seven goals, helping Norway reach the quarterfinals in their first World Cup appearance since 1998.
The towering forward also won over fans across the United States with his personality and off-field adventures. He attended Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final in North Carolina before Norway’s tournament opener, cheered on the Carolina Hurricanes, and explored local attractions during breaks in the schedule.
Haaland even went viral after buying a taxidermied raccoon from a Texas souvenir shop and joking on social media that “It followed me home.” Those memorable moments, combined with his performances for Norway, would have undoubtedly helped him on his way to becoming the tournament’s biggest Instagram winner.
Cristiano Ronaldo Was Chased Down By Surprise Star Vozinha
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was arguably the list’s biggest surprise, finishing second with 29.4 million new followers after beginning the tournament with an audience of only around 50,000. England star Jude Bellingham placed third with 12 million, narrowly ahead of Ronaldo.
Spain sensation Lamine Yamal followed Ronaldo in fifth place after gaining 11 million followers, while Neymar and Lionel Messi added 7.7 million and 7.5 million, respectively. Mexico youngster Gilberto Mora, France’s Michael Olise, and Brazilian forward Endrick completed the top 10 with gains ranging from 5.6 million to 6.6 million.
One particularly notable omission was Kylian Mbappé, who failed to crack the top 10 despite France’s run to the semifinals. Brazil, meanwhile, was the only country to place two players on the list, with Neymar and Endrick both enjoying sizeable boosts.
Cristiano Ronaldo Fueled FIFA Favoritism Claims With Instagram Like
Ronaldo also found himself at the center of an off-field controversy after fans noticed his verified Instagram account had liked a video alleging FIFA helped Lionel Messi’s Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final.
The post, which featured comments from Spanish journalist Pilar Rodríguez Losantos accusing football’s governing body of favoring the defending champions, quickly went viral and reignited debate over Argentina’s run to the title match.
Screenshots of the would-be like spread rapidly across social media before it later disappeared, though the Portuguese superstar has not publicly addressed the incident or clarified whether the interaction was intentional.