Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as the most dramatic Instagram growth story of the 2026 World Cup. His follower count rose from about 37,000 to 28.8 million during the tournament.
According to Meta data, that increase was nearly 77,000 percent. The 40-year-old goalkeeper’s surge exceeded the follower gains recorded by several football stars with far larger established global audiences.
A Tournament Boost for Players
The 2026 World Cup added more than 213.6 million new followers across the accounts of all participating players between 11 June and 11 July 2026. Their combined following increased from 3.26 billion to 3.47 billion over that period.
Vozinha’s performances for Cape Verde drew major attention during the competition. The figures indicate that on-field performances and unexpected team stories were closely tied to fan activity across Meta platforms.
| Player | New Followers | Total Followers |
|---|---|---|
| Vozinha | 28.8 million | 28.8 million |
| Erling Haaland | 23 million | 63.7 million |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 10 million | 676 million |
| Neymar | 6.5 million | 241.2 million |
| Lionel Messi | 5.6 million | 512.3 million |
Erling Haaland ranked second for new followers, adding 23 million to reach a total of 63.7 million. Cristiano Ronaldo gained 10 million followers and remained the most-followed individual account on Instagram with 676 million.
Neymar added 6.5 million followers, while Lionel Messi gained 5.6 million. Their total follower counts reached 241.2 million and 512.3 million respectively.
Cape Verde Also Led Team Growth
The rise was not limited to the goalkeeper’s account. Cape Verde became the team with the highest follower growth during the competition, gaining 32.1 million followers, an increase of more than 2,000 percent.
Brazil ranked second with 26.6 million new followers, followed by Norway with 24.5 million. Mexico added 20.8 million and Argentina gained 18.4 million to complete the top five.
| Team | New Followers |
|---|---|
| Cape Verde | 32.1 million |
| Brazil | 26.6 million |
| Norway | 24.5 million |
| Mexico | 20.8 million |
| Argentina | 18.4 million |
| Portugal | 14.4 million |
| Egypt | 11.8 million |
| France | 11.4 million |
| Morocco | 9.1 million |
| England | 7.5 million |
Portugal recorded an increase of 14.4 million followers, while Egypt and France added 11.8 million and 11.4 million respectively. Morocco gained 9.1 million, and England added 7.5 million.
Messaging and Posts Followed the Matches
Meta Global Football Lead Rob Pilgrim said the company’s apps gave fans a place to continue the excitement after watching matches on television. Fans used the platforms to join communities, take part in conversations, and share clips and memes.
WhatsApp recorded its highest activity during the Argentina versus Egypt round-of-16 match, reaching traffic of 29 million messages per second. World Cup-tagged posts on Threads generated 1.5 billion impressions, while Facebook logged more than 80 million posts related to the tournament.
