2026 World Cup: 4.1 million posts per day on social media

More than 148.2 million posts: The 2026 World Cup is taking social media by storm

The World Cup has become a major talking point on social media. Since the tournament kicked off, more than 148.2 million posts have been published—an average of 4.1 million posts per day.

This edition is generating 53% more conversations than the 2022 World Cup. Beyond the results, it’s the twists and turns, the high-profile matchups, and the unexpected moments that are sparking the strongest waves of reactions.

The timeline below highlights the main peaks of activity that punctuated the tournament, revealing the moments that most significantly shaped online conversations, including:

• June 17 – 8.1 million messages : Sporting surprises sparked the first major waves of conversation, ranging from England’s victory to Portugal’s unexpected draw against the DR Congo

• July 6 – 8.7 million messages: High-profile knockout matches spurred engagement, with the Round of 16 capturing the attention of internet users

• July 7 – 8.9 million messages : The intensity of the final stages drove conversation levels higher, with the quarterfinal and semifinal matches becoming highlights of the tournament

Messi dominates social media, Haaland confirms his rise 

Soccer’s biggest stars account for the vast majority of online conversations. Lionel Messi dominates the rankings by a wide margin with 37.9 million mentions since the start of the tournament—nearly twice as many as Cristiano Ronaldo (19 million). His first match of the tournament alone—marked by his hat trick against Algeria—accounts for 12% of all mentions about him. Kylian Mbappé rounds out the top three with 10.7 million mentions.

Further down the list, Erling Haaland has emerged as one of the breakout stars of this World Cup: with 8.3 million mentions, the Norwegian has surpassed Neymar (6 million mentions), illustrating the rise of new figures capable of competing with legendary stars in social media discussions.

Messi’s Records in the Spotlight

With nearly 37.9 million mentions, Lionel Messi stands out as the most-discussed figure of the 2026 World Cup on social media, from X to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Conversations about the player are primarily driven by his athletic performances and the new records he’s setting throughout the tournament.

In late June, he became the first player to score a goal in seven consecutive matches, before extending that streak to nine games in early July. He then cemented his impact on the field with one of the tournament’s best offensive performances, scoring six goals in three matches.

Haaland, a social media star

Erling Haaland has emerged as one of the most talked-about figures of this World Cup on social media. Beyond his on-field performances, certain moments both during and outside of games have also made an impression on social media users. Among the moments that generated the most engagement, the scene where the Norwegian striker walked toward the opposing goal to drink the goalkeeper’s water caught people’s attention: 

Another clip that went viral online: Erling Haaland’s return to Norway, marked by a memory that was unexpected to say the least and quickly caught the attention of internet users:

The brands that won LinkedIn during the FIFA World Cup

While X remained the epicentre of live match conversations, LinkedIn offered a different perspective on the tournament. Brands used the platform to celebrate partnerships, highlight employees on the ground, showcase hospitality experiences and connect major sporting moments to their corporate storytelling.

Among all company pages monitored by Visibrain, Lenovo generated the highest engagement during the tournament, with nearly 8,000 reactions on its World Cup-related content.

1. Lenovo - 7988 reactions

2. Sanofi - 1354 reactions
3. Nike - 831 reactions
4. Keolis Group - 440 reactions
5. Sainsbury's - 389 reactions
6. Bentley Systems -378 reactions
7. Rossignol Group - 345 reactions
8. Airbus - 304 reactions
9. Beiersdorf - 273 reactions
10. Hisense Group - 215 reactions
11. Rice University - 210 reactions
12. Boston Consulting Group - 204 reactions
13. Deutsche Gessellschaft für Internationale Zusammenheit (GIZ) GmbH - 189 reactions
    
    
14. Scallan - 158 reactions
15. Groupe SEB - 140 reactions

The WAG Effect: Players’ partners and families amplify online conversations

Players can count on the support of their fans and communities, but also on increased exposure thanks to their inner circles—particularly their partners—whose presence at matches sometimes becomes a major topic of online conversation.

This is particularly true forEster Expósito ahead of the France–Spain semifinal. The Spanish actress’s potential attendance has sparked numerous reactions on social media, with a wave of humorous posts questioning her choice of jersey between her home country and her partner’s: 

Another example: Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez. Rodríguez posted a message of support for the soccer player on Instagram , featuring their children, which generated significant engagement with 6.1 million likes.

Third example: Antonela Roccuzzo, Lionel Messi’s partner, celebrating her husband’s team’s advancement to the final (3.2 million likes):