From Vozinha to Tim Payne: how the World Cup is creating viral stars

Breakout talent emerges at every World Cup, but in 2026 these players’ actions are not confined to the pitch. Social media has become football’s parallel tournament, an arena where one viral clip can reshape an entire career. Here are some standout risers from the tournament so far.

Vozinha

The Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has become a global sensation after starring in his country’s stunning goalless draw with Spain on Monday. Before the match, reports suggested the 40-year-old had roughly 20,000 followers on social media – that figure now stands at 7.2 million and rising. It’s fair to say Vozinha could end up being one of the faces of the tournament.

Tim Payne

Payne arrived at the World Cup with a mere 4,715 followers on Instagram. After being picked out by the Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini in a challenge to find the “least-known player” at the tournament based on social media metrics, the New Zealand defender saw that figure rise to an enormous 5.8 million. Caught by surprise at his sudden rise in social media popularity, Payne posted videos thanking Scarsini for his support. The pair have also subsequently met in the flesh.

Kai Trewin

A couple of days before the World Cup started, the Australia defender saw his Instagram following jump from 3,000 to over 100,000 as part of an internet campaign instigated by the football content creator RubikayTV intended to make the 25-year-old the “the Cristiano Ronaldo of the World Cup” in response to Scarsini’s support for Payne. Trewin is now one of the most well-known players in the Socceroos squad despite not featuring in their 2-0 victory over Turkey on Sunday.

Trevor Doornbusch

A shoutout from the influencer FiagoBall catapulted Curaçao’s back-up goalkeeper from 1,606 to 45.1k followers on Instagram, which is some level of online support for a player who sat on the bench all season for VVV-Venlo in the second tier in the Netherlands and may not feature at all at this World Cup.

Zakaria El Ouahdi

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