Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland are the two hottest footballers on the planet after the World Cup, researchers say. The pair added the most followers on social media as a result of their exploits - putting them ahead of more established stars like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe.
Haaland's Instagram Surge
Norway's Haaland gained the most Instagram followers during the tournament - 31,832,161. His following rocketed 78% to a staggering 72,476,644 - almost 1% of the world's entire 8,300,000,000 population. The Manchester City striker's estimated earnings for a single sponsored online post would be £570,681.
Bellingham's Rise
Jude Bellingham added the third most followers following his heroic performances for England. His last kick wonder goal sealed the Three Lions' exciting 6-4 Bronze Final victory over France. Bellingham, who plays for Spanish giants Real Madrid, added 11,846,060 new followers during the tournament - up 29% - and now boasts 53,108,938. His estimated earnings per post are £418,180.
Vozinha's Remarkable Growth
The second hottest star was Cape Verde's veteran goalie Vozinha who put on 29,458,989 new followers - up a mind-blowing 93,000% - to boast 29,490,527. His estimated earnings per post are now £232,208. But as he is 40 and does not have a club the future battle for the world's brightest young star will rest between Bellingham, 23, and Haaland who turned 26 on Tuesday.
Other Notable Increases
England's Djed Spence also saw a significant rise in followers after the semi-final and Bronze match. His shot up 79%.
Tournament Records
A total of 45 records were smashed at the tournament including for the most goals - 308 - scored at any World Cup in history. England managed just one record - for the most matches ending up in a draw (23).
A spokesman for football number-crunchers MyBettingSites.co.uk - which conducted the analysis - said: “Erling Haaland finishes this tournament as the biggest Instagram gainer in raw numbers. “England's Jude Bellingham is close behind. What's stood out across the full six weeks is how many players went from relative anonymity to millions of followers. Vozinha's story is remarkable. Going from 31,538 followers to over 29 million is a rise of more than 93,000% for the Cape Verde goalkeeper. Nothing else in this tournament came close to it.”
