Lionel Messi has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most-liked Instagram post by a sportsperson, eclipsing his rival on and off the pitch.
Messi earned his first World Cup title with Argentina on Sunday in an unforgettable final against France. The 35-year-old scored two goals and converted his country’s first attempt in the penalty shootout to help secure the victory.
The historic performance on the pitch led to historic numbers on social media. Messi shared a celebratory message alongside 10 photos hours after the confetti settled at Lusail Stadium in Qatar, and it became the most-liked Instagram post from a sportsperson in history.
Messi took to Instagram to revel in the World Cup win with Argentina on Sunday. The celebratory post received more than 46 million likes, setting a new record for a post by an athlete.
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The previous best was Cristiano Ronaldo’s pre-World Cup post of an image of him and Messi playing chess, which clocked in almost 42 million likes.
Messi and Ronaldo have been breaking each other’s records for most-liked social media posts for some time.
Almost 18 months ago, Messi broke Ronaldo’s previous record when his post celebrating Argentina’s 2021 Copa America victory received almost 22 million.
The 35-year-old will soon return to club action with Paris Saint-Germain as they face Strasbourg on December 28.
