Few realize how quickly it shifted. Now a space far beyond photos, Instagram turns personal emotions into public displays. Speed defines everything here. Daily, more than two billion show up without hesitation. Each scrolls through images, connecting with some. Passes others along. One post can catch fire overnight. Fame waits in a single click.
Liked posts on Instagram give clues about what grabs attention – maybe it’s a goal celebration, maybe just someone laughing mid-bite into toast. Some top ones come from athletes nailing impossible shots, others bloom from quiet scenes shared by stars during off hours. Here are twenty that stood tallest in 2026, each pulling millions without shouting. Behind every one sits timing, emotion, or pure surprise catching fire across screens. Stories tied to them aren’t always grand; sometimes they’re small things blown wide open.
Also Read – Best Time to Post on Instagram
What is the Most Liked Instagram Post Ever?
One day after the world watched them triumph, Messi posted a photo. This moment came straight from Qatar, where confetti still clung to jerseys. His teammates swarm around, arms high, voices lost in the roar. Seventy four million people hit like by 2026 – no one expected it to climb so far. What you see is raw, unfiltered joy stitched into pixels.
He posted it all on December eighteenth, just hours after lifting the trophy. Not one image but several, each frozen mid-celebration. There he stands, cup tight in grip, eyes wide with disbelief. Victory sits heavy in his handsMessi finally got something he’d chased for years. No other image online has pulled more likes than this one. Hard effort and steady patience shine through in the photo. People everywhere find strength in what Messi shared.
List of Top 20 Most Liked Instagram Posts 2026
1. Lionel Messi — 2022 FIFA World Cup Celebration
Arguably the Most Liked Instagram Post of all time! It was posted mere minutes after the amazing Argentina victory over France in the Qatar FIFA World Cup final, captioned ‘CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO!!!!!!’ (meaning ‘Champions of the World!’). The elation on Messi‘s face, fans jumping around and that glorious trophy was simply irresistible and football fans all over the world had to reply with a massive 10million likes in just 39 minutes! With nobody getting even remotely close to that speed again. This truly was a historic moment #OnThisDay.
Total Likes: 74.7 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmMpbOXrfBW/
2. @world_record_egg — The Iconic Egg
In a plot twist, the most liked hashtag in Instagram history is just a plain old brown egg on a white background nothing else. Instagram handle @world_record_egg was uploaded on January 4, 2019, with the intention of beating the popular account goddy_kylie_jenner, who at the time had a record number of eighteen point six million likes. The millions of people on the internet joined together simply for the fun of it on this egg to be the record holder. No star, no background, just an egg. It really shows that creativity always wins over a star.anyday.
Total Likes: 60.4 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BsOGulcndj-/
3. Lionel Messi — Sleeping With the World Cup Trophy
When Messi finally lifted the world‘s biggest football prize, he uploaded a number of pictures of himself relaxing in his bed, smiling with the trophy in hand while also drinking mate (a traditional South American drink). In any case, he just wrote “Buen dia” (Good morning) and went to sleep. Fans absolutely loved the attitude of this superstar, who just seemed to be a regular footballer. And sure enough, this picture is another entry for his list of the Most Liked Instagram Posts!
Total Likes: 53.5 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZUBfkLp8r/
4. Kishore Mondal — Reel Singing “Jeene Laga Hoon”
One of the most moving surprises on this list is of singer Kishore Mondal who, with his brother, portrays a raw, emotional version of the hit Bollywood Track “Jeene Laga Hoon” The talent, emotion and simplicity of the setup made this sharable immediately. So, you do not need a vast audience to be one of the Most Liked Instagram Post owners, just do what moves you.
Total Likes: 51.8 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJf0_RmSd-T/
5. Insta360 — Toddler Walking with Tiny Camera
This adorable video of a toddler shopping with an Insta360 camera mounted on her hat went viral on the internet with a whopping 42 million plus likes. While the child happily looks around in HD, you get to hear her giggle, cry, and what might be her first sounds in this delightful clip. What makes this video so ground-breaking is that it emits happiness and nothing else, no celebrities, no soccer, no emo band and that people relate to the new perspective of seeing through a kid’s eyes. It reminds us that viral movies do not need a ‘name’ actor or a lot of money to be successful but only something unique.
Total Likes: 42.8 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs2_AIArLfC/
6. Cristiano Ronaldo — Messi vs Ronaldo Chess (Louis Vuitton)
As two of the greatest football legends come together to play chess on a Louis Vuitton campaign, it causes a Twitter storm. The classic photo of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing chess sponsored by Louis Vuitton went kind of viral. With the words “Victory is a State of Mind” shared by both players, it was a quirky and artistic look at the legendary rivalry. Shared from Ronaldo‘s account, it has proved to be one of the most visually inspiring moments in the history of sports-meets-luxury in the social media world.
Total Likes: 41.3 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl7Vp6WI-oI/
7. Lionel Messi — On Airplane with the World Cup Trophy
Messi shared his joy with the world and fans kept smashing the like button on Instagram. One post has a picture of him on a flight holding the FIFA World Cup Trophy, as if it were an everyday item. It was informal, endearing, and truly encapsulated the mood of a victorious champion. It soon gained over 41 million likes and proved Messi‘s status as the creator of the Most Liked Instagram Post ever.
Total Likes: 41.0 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CmZTm7urT-n/
8. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce — Engagement Announcement
When pop star Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram the whole internet went crazy. The fans of both: The Swifties and NFL fans sprung into action, and flooded the post with likes, turning it into one of the most popular relationship announcements on the realm of social media. The post successfully engaged 37.6 million likes, and achieved the rather impossible task of fusing celebrity culture, love and the signal of a perfectly timed reveal. It is perhaps one of Instagram’s biggest recent celebrity moments.
Total Likes: 37.6 Million
Link: Available on @taylorswift Instagram
9. @emilio.piano — Little Girl Singing “My Heart Will Go On”
This adorable emotional Reel of a young girl singing this hugely recognizable Titanic ballad by Celine Dion melted the hearts of millions of Facebook users and earned 37.1 million likes. The ingenuousness, skill and sheer happiness that came through in her singing made this one of the most popular and shared Reels ever – a true testament to how talent (regardless of its young age) can succeed on Facebook without any marketing or promotion from the singer themselves or a famous name on the accounts in question.
Total Likes: 37.1 Million
Link: Available on @emilio.piano Instagram
10. Lionel Messi — Visit to Camp Nou
This highly nostalgic video details Messi at the Camp Nou, the legendary Barcelona home where he experienced his best years as a footballer. For inspired fans of Barcelona and Messi, it was an emotional reintegration to the aura and history of 17 awe-inspiring years of football brilliance which score it at an overall 35.5m likes and adds to another record in the ‘Most Liked Instagram Posts’ .
Total Likes: 35.5 Million
Link: Available on @leomessi Instagram
11. Cristiano Ronaldo — Icy Dip in Lapland, Finland
Ronaldo is renowned for his focus on fitness, which is what made this post of the football star taking a freezing cold plunge into the icy waters of Lapland, Finland, so popular. It received a massive 35.4 million likes. Fans were intrigued by his dedication and loved the snowy arctic background. It was aspirational, adventurous and just right for one of the world’s most committed and fittest athletes.
Total Likes: 35.4 Million
Link: Available on @cristiano Instagram
12. XXXTentacion — Final Post Before His Death
This is a picture that rapper XXXTentacion posted a day before he died in June 2018. When the news of his death was announced, the post became an instant memorial as thousands of millions of fans stopped to memorialize and show their love for the rapper. This tragedy coupled with the mass grief of thousands of fans around the world makes this one of the most impactful posts in the history of Instagram. A Somber reminder of the ability of Instagram to memorialize lives.
Total Likes: 34.1 Million
Link: Available on @xxxtentacion Instagram
13. Lionel Messi — World Cup Celebration in Argentina
This post is a picture of Messi outside the team bus celebrating with the World Cup trophy, flying high above the crowds. Five million fans flooded the streets, rooftops and windows in every direction. This celebration was unlike anything experienced in football before and this post is just one of a host of iconic instances that made it one of the Most Liked Instagram Posts of all-time list.
Total Likes: 33.5 Million
Link: Available on @leomessi Instagram
14. Cristiano Ronaldo — Joining Al Nassr FC
When Cristiano Ronaldo revealed his move to the famously wealthy Saudi Arabian club, Al Nassr FC, it shocked the football world. He had people talking in every corner of Europe, Asia and across the Americas and he expressed their thoughts in likes and comments which resulted in a total of 33.1 million likes on this football first. A milestone moment in football history, this was a precursor for football’s most followed player beginning an exciting new chapter in his career.
Total Likes: 33.1 Million
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm52iB-LbSn/
15. Cristiano Ronaldo — Portugal Eliminated from 2022 World Cup
In this post, Cristiano Ronaldo was pictured walking off the pitch after Portugal‘s defeat to Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. Rumours about him retiring from international football after that World Cup were circulating, and he alone made his fans eager with his emotional caption. It was a love and support filled bittersweet post that was full of heartbreak and indecision. It was liked by 32.9 million fans.
Total Likes: 32.9 Million
Link: Available on @cristiano Instagram
16. @jiangzhibin24 — AI-Generated Sunset Reel
What is this, a Reel? Although this amazing Reel of a breathtaking AI-generated sunset looks like one of the many that gained over 150 million likes, it actually ended up being one of the most shocking entries on this list, accumulating a whopping 32.7 million likes. The images were so stunning and indescribably surreal that it was impossible for people not to double tap. And this video is certainly heralding a new era in viral clips – one which AI-art is starting to rival actual photography for shock and awe value.
Total Likes: 32.7 Million
Link: Available on @jiangzhibin24 Instagram
17. Lionel Messi — Chess with Ronaldo (Messi’s Account)
Similarly, Messi posted the exact same iconic Louis Vuitton chess campaign on his own time line and that too amassed a massive 31.8 million likes by itself. The fact that both these versions of the same photo – one on Ronaldo‘s profile and one on Messi‘s – made it to the top 20 most liked posts of all time just goes to show you how insanely powerful the fans of these football gods really are. Truly evidence of their unique hold over social media on an international level.
Total Likes: 31.8 Million
Link: Available on @leomessi Instagram
18. Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez — Pregnancy Announcement
In this intimate and emotional post, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez are side by side holding an ultrasound picture and beaming in the silent, tender joy of a new life. “Happy to announce we are expecting twins”, the caption said. Fortunately, this post gained even greater poignancy when the couple later revealed that they had lost one of their twins. The overwhelming outpouring of love, compassion and consolment from supporters made it one of the most moving posts in Instagram‘s history.
Total Likes: 31.5 Million
Link: Available on @cristiano Instagram
19. Druvam Kalasamithi — Colorful Wedding Entrance Reel
A colorful, lively Reel of a traditional Indian wedding entrance (with beautiful colors, music, culture), this video went shockingly viral all across the world, eventually reaching 31.2 million likes. It was one of the most convincing spreads of regional, cultural, content on an international scale on Instagram. An elegant showcase of Indian tradition and culture that connected with viewers worldwide, a true example of Instagram allowing “anyone to be any kind of artist or to create any kind of content and have it be distributed worldwide.”
Total Likes: 31.2 Million
Link: Available on @kavadi_druvam_kalasamithi_ Instagram
20. @aline_sarakbii and @mostafa_srakbi — Baby Reel
Completing the Top 20 is this sweet, touching Reel of a baby we told you baby content is king on Instagram. And we couldn‘t be more right. No celebrity, no brand, no feel-good message, just a baby being adorable. And get this the world gave it over 31 million likes. An unforgettable, delightful addition to the Most Liked Instagram Post hall of fame.
Total Likes: 31.2 Million
Link: Available on @aline_sarakbii Instagram
Most Liked Instagram Post in 24 Hours — Quick Answer
| Rank | Post | Creator | Likes in 24 Hours | Date |
| 1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup Win | Lionel Messi | 50 Million | Dec 18, 2022 |
| 2 | World Record Egg | @world_record_egg | 5 Million | Jan 4, 2019 |
| 3 | Sleeping with Trophy | Lionel Messi | 20 Million | Dec 2022 |
| 4 | Taylor Swift Engagement | @taylorswift | 10 Million | 2025 |
| 5 | Toddler with Insta360 | @Insta360 | 8 Million | 2023 |
Why These Posts Go Viral
Analyzing how the Most Liked Instagram Post records keeps getting broken can help us understand some important concepts in human psychology and how we act on social networks.
- First of all, the most important part is emotion: Every post that ends up going viral shares some emotional feeling, like Messi and the World Cup or the first steps of a baby. This can be joy, nostalgia, admiration, and even sadness. People love that kind of content.
- Events like the World Cup or the Olympics: that happen every four years and only a few times in a lifetime also create a massive audience for social media. Instagram can easily get billions of new users every time such a big event happens.
- Messi and Ronaldo:they have massive fanbases and over 10% of the most liked posts on Instagram. Their fans are so obsessive that they span every continent and every age, as their massive fanbases are like a megaphone, creating massive fanbases built around total obsession, and empty posts on Instagram.
- The most liked Egg: It is a common example of how the most simplistic posts can go viral and create a massive following, uniting a community. The most liked egg is such a simple meme that it fostered a community goal and required no production, and no complicated story at all.
- In summary: Instagram is a powerful tool for building large communities in real time and social media and all the big massive events like the World Cup and Olympics create massive new user communities around every continent and every age.
- Authentic posts :create a real emotional connection and outperform even elaborate ad campaigns. Posts that create a real emotional connection like the child exploring or Messi falling asleep with the World Cup create a powerful emotional connection that outshines even the most elaborate ad campaigns.
Who Has 1 Billion Followers on Instagram?
The date of January 1, 2026, is not far away. As of October 2023, no account has reached 1 billion followers on Instagram. However, many high-profile accounts are getting close.
- Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) is leading with about 670 million followers, making him the most followed account on the social media app and the most followed account on the platform.
- Lionel Messi (@leomessi) is second with over 504 million followers, making him the second most followed athlete. Messi also has the most liked Instagram account with 6 posts in the top 20 of most liked.
- Selena Gomez and Kylie Jenner are among the top followed female celebs and are estimated to hit about 400 million followers by 2026.
- The official account (@instagram) also has hundreds of millions of followers.
- The top Instagram accounts are currently between 500 million to 700 million followers. In the coming years this will be reachable.
- Experts think a viral video of a crossover entertainer and athlete account would jump the Instagram account to over 1 billion followers.
Who Got 1 Billion Views on Instagram?
Likes on Reels and Instagram views are two completely separate things which makes them more incredible. Many different brands and creators have received some incredible view counts on their reels.
- In 2026, Reels content is almost guaranteed success, as Instagram has been rewarding its users with success for short-form content. It is incredibly easy for reels to gain over a billion views, even 100 to 500 million views.
- Messi’s World Cup celebration is one of the most viewed content on Instagram. All of Messi’s posts containing World Cup celebration content are estimated to have billions of views which are vastly concentrated.
- Similarly, Kishore Mondal’s “Jeene Laga Hoon” also became one of the most viewed and liked reels of all time with over 51.8 million likes and over 1 billion views on Instagram.
- Another example is the video of the Insta360 toddler which has been distributed over several other social media sites including TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, and has gone viral with over one billion views as a result of reposts, shares, and other forms of social interaction.
Future of Viral Instagram Posts
Metrics for the Most Liked Instagram Posts are evolving rapidly. Here are some emerging trends regarding the Most Liked Instagram Posts.
- Content synthesized by AI is increasing: Just a few days ago, an AI-generated sunset video reached 32.7 million likes. This means that AI-generated sunset videos will make future posts go viral. Many AI-generated high-performing posts will be expected in the future.
- Google’s Instagram Reels will now be prioritized over posts: We will now see a fundamental change regarding what content is created in order to go viral. Short videos will be prioritized over still images for Instagram Most Liked Posts.
- The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will all host the 2026 FIFA World Cup: This will surely result in a spike in viral posts.
- Content creators: from Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Latin America will very quickly gain a great deal of followers, which may lead to them being ranked highly amongst other content creators.
- Content that is interactive and inspired: the community will lead to domination of the Most Liked Instagram Posts as observed by the viral egg post experiment. Content that is community-driven and collaborative will lead to domination as previously observed in the world record egg viral experiment.
- We’ll see the most positive engagement :on posts with AI-generated influencers, as virtual influencers are becoming increasingly popular with growing AI technology.
Conclusion
Comments on the Most Liked Instagram Post list for 2026 keep it simple, eye-opening, surprising, awe-inspiring, heartwarming and downright addictive. A list including the legendary Lionel Messi‘s winning World Cup picture, with a staggering 74.7 million (and counting) tally, and the infamous internet-popular egg, these posts proves what touches a nerve is that personal, human touch.
Behind the football icons who hog the limelight, smaller surprises baba‘s first steps, a heart-tugging baby Reel or a little boy hammering out a Bollywood number can go viral even less predictably, if the timing is right. With Instagram constantly reinventing itself, thanks to AI, Reels, and a bevy of new creators across the world, it isn‘t impossible that your next post to shatter viewership records will come from just about anywhere.
FAQs
What is the most appreciated post on Instagram in 2026?
Are we mentioning who‘s photo from FIFA is the most liked in history? Here is a picture from global football legend Lionel Messi’s celebration after the 2022 FIFA World Cup win. Already in 2026, this is the most liked post on Instagram with over 74.7 million likes!
What is the most liked non-celebrity post on Instagram?
The least liked non-celebrity posting is the photo of the @world_record_egg, which has more than 60.4 million likes since January, 2019.
How many likes get Messi‘s World Cup 24 hour post?
Within the first 24 hours of its upload, Messi‘s World Cup post had accumulated nearing 50 million likes, breaking social media records in doing so.
Are there any Cristiano Ronaldo posts in the top 20?
For sure! Cristiano Ronaldo has 5 posts on the Top 20 most liked posts on Instagram. One of which is for his chess campaign with Messi, and another one is his transfer to Al Nassr FC.
Is it possible for a normal person’s post to be in the top 20 most liked ever on Instagram?
You bet the world record egg and Kishore Mondal‘s Reel will show the everyday creator you don‘t need to have millions of followers to get good likes with good content, genuine emotion, and perfect timing.