FIFA World Cup 2026: Will Viral Stars Capitalize on Their Fame to Build Prosperity?
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Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Bojinya surpassed NFL legend Tom Brady in Instagram followers in just 90 minutes.
Bojinya’s outstanding performance in the ongoing World Cup group stage helped Cape Verde secure a goalless draw against Spain, a result considered remarkable against one of the tournament favorites.
Since then, Bojinya’s Instagram followers have surged from just 50,000 to over 17.3 million, surpassing Brady’s 15.5 million followers.
World Cup stars like Bojinya have the potential to leverage their fame on social media to generate lucrative earning opportunities.
However, media expert Mike Seragio warns that this potential may be short-lived. He says, “It goes viral visually. It spreads extremely fast and disappears just as quickly.”
A strong social media presence can lead to brand partnerships and advertisers paying for individual posts.
According to digital and social media expert Brooke Duffy from Cornell University, influencers with millions of followers can command payments in the millions of dollars.
“Followers nowadays are like currency… the more followers you have, the higher the earnings,” she explains.
A Different Path to Becoming a ‘Star’
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Before the World Cup began, New Zealand defender Tim Payne was tagged as the “best lesser-known” player by an Argentine influencer. Known as ‘Elcarso’, Valen Scarsini posted a video urging his millions of followers to promote Payne’s profile.
Payne, who initially had just 5,000 followers, ramped up his Instagram activity and engaged with Elcarso. Now, he boasts nearly 6 million followers—more than New Zealand’s total population of 5.3 million.
Although Payne hasn’t gained popularity through on-field heroics like Cape Verde’s Bojinya, his online presence has surged.
According to Mike Seragio, media and sports researcher and professor at Boston College, this trend is gaining momentum rapidly in the sports world.
“In the last five to ten years, stars have emerged whose fame is entirely based on social media,” he said. “Their popularity often does not correspond to their sporting skills.”
Seragio explains that all national team players are talented, but earlier you had to excel significantly to appear on TV broadcasts or food packaging advertisements.
“Mainstream media is no longer as essential as before, and players have realized this,” he added. “They use social media to grow followers, secure brand deals, earn money, and capitalize on their popularity.”
What Happens to Their Fame After the World Cup?
Seragio believes sports fans today are more drawn to viral clips than full game performances.
“A single memorable moment is more impactful than an entire performance; it catches attention and spreads widely on social media,” he said.
“Viral moments often carry more significance and recognition than the sport itself.”
Players gaining millions of new fans during the World Cup face the challenge of turning that popularity into an off-field career.
“There is a valley of attention afterwards,” Seragio said. “I doubt the Cape Verde goalkeeper, who was relatively unknown before, will be widely recognized post-World Cup.”
“Players like Messi, Ronaldo, Neymar, and Mbappe will continue signing contracts even after retirement,” Seragio added, noting that players who suddenly become famous have fewer examples of successfully leveraging their post-career fame.
One example of effectively using social media is American rugby player Ilona Maher. Her popularity spiked after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Maher hosts her own podcast, serves as a brand ambassador for numerous companies, has modeled for Sports Illustrated, and was runner-up on the TV show ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ She also won the Best New Athlete ESPY Award in 2025.
According to Duffy, stars emerging from new social media platforms have promising long-term career opportunities, although it’s difficult to precisely estimate their potential earnings.
Duffy explained that payment rates for sponsored social media content are not as standardized as traditional television ads. “There are not enough benchmarks to determine fair income.”
“These individuals’ careers have been attached to football so far, so there is keen interest in how they will navigate the complexities of the digital media economic structure going forward.”
Currently, viral stars of the World Cup hold their peak cultural value. How well they maintain engagement with new fans after the tournament will be decisive for their future.