Cape Verde goalkeeper, Josimar José Évora Dias, commonly known as Vozinha, has emerged as the biggest social media success story of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage after gaining more than 17 million Instagram followers in just three weeks, according to new data released by MyBettingSites.co.uk.
The report, which tracked the Instagram growth of players between June 8 and June 29, showed that Vozinha’s follower count jumped from just 31,538 before the tournament to 17,273,781 by the end of the group stage – an increase of 17,242,243 followers, representing a staggering 54,671 per cent rise.
The dramatic increase has also boosted his estimated value for sponsored Instagram posts from about $316 before the tournament to approximately $172,738 per post.
Despite the unprecedented growth recorded by the Cape Verde goalkeeper, Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo remains the most-followed player at the tournament, ending the group stage with 669.9 million Instagram followers. Ronaldo added 4.29 million followers during the period, while Argentina captain Lionel Messi gained 4.58 million followers.
According to the report, Ronaldo’s social media reach translates to an estimated $6.7 million for every sponsored Instagram post, the highest among all players at the tournament.
Brazilian teenage forward Endrick ranked fourth in follower growth, adding more than 4.14 million followers, while Norway striker Erling Haaland gained 3.5 million new followers. Brazil’s Neymar also recorded an increase of over 3.33 million followers.
One of the tournament’s biggest breakout stars was Brazilian defender Douglas Santos, whose Instagram following grew from 192,754 to 2.5 million, an increase of nearly 1,200 per cent. The surge elevated his estimated sponsored post value to about $25,000.
Other notable performers included Mexico’s Gilberto Mora, who more than doubled his audience to nearly 2.2 million followers, Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, whose following increased by more than 1,180 per cent, Japan’s Keito Nakamura and Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande, who also recorded significant growth.
At the national team level, Cape Verde recorded the highest combined increase in Instagram followers, gaining more than 18.2 million followers across its squad, largely driven by Vozinha’s remarkable rise.
Brazil finished second with almost 17 million new followers, followed by Argentina with 11.7 million and Portugal with 7.2 million.
Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for MyBettingSites.co.uk described Vozinha’s rise as one of the most remarkable social media stories to emerge from a major football tournament.
The spokesperson noted that the goalkeeper gained more followers during the World Cup group stage than global football icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé combined.
“The World Cup has always created football stars, but these figures show just how quickly global recognition can happen in the age of social media,” the spokesperson said.
The analysis was based on Instagram follower counts recorded for players in all 48 World Cup squads between June 8 and June 29, 2026. Estimated earnings per sponsored post were calculated using the industry benchmark of $10 for every 1,000 followers, although the report noted that actual commercial values may vary depending on engagement levels and endorsement agreements.