Vozinha, Haaland, players whose IG following surged during the World Cup

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Vozinha, Haaland, players whose IG following surged during the World Cup

Joey Johnson · KTAL Shreveport

Thu, Jul 9, 2026 ·

5 min read

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( KTAL/KMSS ) — The fervor around the World Cup always leads to a surge of interest in different players and countries. This year, that can be reflected in Instagram follower count.

Information compiled by MyBettingSites , a UK gambling site, tells the story of this World Cup and who has captured fans' imagination.

Rising Stars

Vozinha — Cape Verde

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 3: Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha looks on during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between Argentina and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on July 3, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Vozinha, from the small West African archipelago of Cape Verde (Cabo Verde), is the big winner thus far, gaining more than 28 million followers from June 8 to July 8.

World Data Locator Map, Cabo Verde. (Photo by: Encyclopaedia Britannica/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

In group play, the team went undefeated, tying Saudi Arabia , Spain , and Uruguay before losing in the Knockout Round 3-2 to Argentina , with the final goal coming in the 111th minute.

Cape Verde accomplished this despite possessing the ball for only 37 percent of the games in large part thanks to 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. He ranked sixth best in goals per 90 minutes and produced clean sheets in the draws against Saudi Arabia and Spain.

The performance not only made him a national hero; it also made him and his teammates a soccer phenomenon . Vozinha had fewer than 32,000 followers before the World Cup; according to MyBettingSites, he now has 28,060,921. 52 times his home country's population and an increase of almost 89,000 percent from his pre-tournament follower count.

His teammates have also fared well on social media. Six other Cape Verde players ( Sidny Lopes Cabral , Diney Borges , Joao Paulo, Roberto Lopes, Marcio Rosa, and Kevin Pina ) rank in the top 15 in terms of percentage of followers gained since the tournament began.

Erling Haaland — Norway

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JULY 05: Erling Haaland of Norway celebrates his goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 16 match between Brazil and Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 05, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Image Photo Agency/Getty Images)

Drawing social media comparisons to historic Vikings, Erling Haaland's star has risen during the current World Cup.

The 6'5″ blonde Norwegian has not shied away from the spotlight, producing seven goals in four matches.

At only 25, much of the new attention he is attracting is not from soccer fans finding a new player from a small country, but from women seeing him for the first time and enamored by his textbook Nordic look.

Erling has gained more than 16 million followers since the tournament began, almost 11 million of them in the 11 days since the knockout round began.

World Cup host nations break multiple viewership records during opening matches

The Established Stars

Names familiar to soccer fans are also scattered on the list, with Cristiano Ronaldo , Neymar , and Lionel Messi rounding out the top five.

Cristiano Ronaldo — Portugal

FILE – Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo controls the ball during a World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Ireland and Portugal in Dublin, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison, File)

The 41-year-old legend exited the World Cup with three goals and five games, a fitting end to one of the most famous names in the sport.

He entered the tournament with the most followers, more than 670 million, than anyone else in the field.

Despite that acclaim, Ronaldo has gained another 7,375,253 followers since the start of play in what he has said will be his final World Cup .

Neymar

Along with Ronaldo, 34-year-old Brazil ian legend Neymar has announced that this World Cup was his last.

Brazil's all-time leading goal scorer in international play, surpassing the legendary Pele, his importance to Brazilian soccer cannot be overstated.

While his club future is up in the air , his legacy is not, and his fame is still growing, gaining more than six million followers since the tournament began. He now has more than 240 million.

Lionel Messi breaks World Cup scoring record with goal against Austria

Lionel Messi — Argentina

Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring their second goal during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta, Tuesday, July 7, 2026. (AP Photo)

Firmly in the soccer GOAT conversation alongside Pele and Diego Maradona, Messi has been well known for many years.

Before the World Cup, he had more than 506 million followers on Instagram, second only to Ronaldo.

He has gained more than 5.7 million during this tournament run. At 39, this could be Messi's last World Cup as well, but with eight goals and one assist, he is still earning accolades and followers.

The Americans

The United States Men's National Team had a spectacular tournament until running into its apparent kryptonite, Belgium . Despite the setback, the Americans generated a great deal of excitement and goodwill, which translated to social media for some players.

FIFA suspends Balogun's red card suspension, draws backlash

Folarin Balogun — United States

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JULY 01: Folarin Balogun #20 of the United States celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 match between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on July 01, 2026 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

One of the most interesting stories in the World Cup was Folarin Balogun , who raised his profile in the tournament.

He led the United States, one of the host nations, in goals before receiving a red card in the first elimination game. The accompanying red card suspension was controversially suspended by FIFA, allowing him to play against Belgium.

His story was interesting before this World Cup. Born in New York to Nigerian parents who were in the country on vacation while living in London, he had the option to play for three countries but chose his birthplace despite never having lived there.

Balogun's formative years were spent in the English youth soccer system, joining Arsenal at eight.

His visibility in this World Cup has more than doubled his follower count from 335,106 to 903,577.

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Christian Pulisic

The most-followed player on the USMNT by far, Christian Pulisic, still posted the largest gain in followers despite missing limited minutes and missing a game due to injury.

Considered by many to be the face of American soccer. Pulisic was hampered, and his one assist in four games is considered a disappointment by many.

Still, Pulisic tops the Americans with more than 7.7 million followers after gaining more than260 thousand since the tournament began.

Sergino Dest and Weston McKennie are the only other Americans with more than 1 million followers, at 1.792 million and 1.649 million, respectively.

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