Cristiano Ronaldo has once again demonstrated his unparalleled global appeal, with a single Instagram post following Portugal’s 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan becoming the most-liked social media post of 2026 within just 48 hours of being uploaded.
The Portuguese captain, who scored a historic brace in the Group K clash at Houston Stadium on June 23, shared a heartfelt image of himself being embraced by his teammates accompanied by the simple yet powerful caption, “United!”.
The post has since garnered tens of millions of interactions, surpassing all other celebrity and sporting posts this year.
Ronaldo’s on-field heroics provided the perfect backdrop for the social media milestone. The 41-year-old scored two of Portugal’s five goals, taking his World Cup tally to 10 and making him Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
More significantly, he became the first player in football history to score in six different World Cup tournaments, having netted in every edition from 2006 through to 2026 .
The victory came as a statement response from Portugal, who had been held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opening fixture. Ronaldo’s brace, along with strikes from Nuno Mendes and Rafael Leao, and an own goal from Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov, secured a comprehensive win that reignited Portugal’s campaign .
The Instagram post’s rapid ascent to the top of 2026’s most-liked rankings is a testament to Ronaldo’s extraordinary digital footprint.
The Al Nassr forward currently commands approximately 669 million followers on Instagram, making him the most-followed individual on the platform, far surpassing his long-time rival Lionel Messi, who has around 509 million followers.
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