The most popular footballer in the world (based on Google searches)

In the USA, Mexico, and Canada, the 2026 World Cup is in full swing - a true celebration for every football fan. Almost all the main stars have arrived at the World Cup and have begun their hunt for the coveted trophy. We believe it's time to tell you about the most popular footballer at the current World Cup based on Google search queries over the last year.

Ronaldo - the most popular footballer in the world

Cristiano Ronaldo leads the ranking - his name is searched on Google an average of 10,156,667 times per month (over the last year), which is more than twice the number of the second place. It must be admitted that such popularity is not surprising. Ronaldo has had an outstanding career. He is the top scorer in the history of the Champions League, the record holder for goals for the Portugal national team, a five-time winner of the "Golden Ball" and the list goes on... Ronaldo has a large fan base in Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. It's clear that Ronaldo inspires people far beyond football. Therefore, any news related to him becomes a topic of discussion throughout the internet.

Top 10 most in-demand footballers on Google over the past year

Interesting Fact

Interestingly, the top-10 did not include players from the trio who were the best according to the "Golden Ball" voting results in 2025:

1. Ousmane Dembele (France National Team/PSG).

2. Lamine Yamal (Spain National Team/Barcelona).

3. Vitinha (Portugal National Team/PSG).

What does this tell us? You've got the hint right! Google search interest is not so much about who plays football better, but who is currently louder in the media field and on social networks.