World Cup will be one of the biggest social media events ever – but who won battle off the pitch in 2014?
RUSSIA 2018 is set to be one of the biggest social-media events ever after Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar helped make Brazil 2014 the first World Cup to go truly viral.
SunSport takes you through their most-talked about moments at the last tournament...
@leomessi
YouTube: LIONEL MESSI'S dramatic late winner v Iran was the second-most searched-for goal behind Dutch star Robin van Persie’s diving header against Spain.
#: THE Argentina captain was the most talked-about player in social media conversations which featured the World Cup hashtag during the finals.
The ace got 2.3million social-media mentions on the day of the final defeat against Germany — more than any other player.
@cristiano
Instagram: CRISTIANO RONALDO is the most-followed sports star on Instagram. Only singer and actress Selena Gomez can boast more followers.
facebook: DESPITE Portugal going out at the group stage, he had 89million likes on his Facebook page by the end of the finals.
WHEN Portugal won their first major title at Euro 2016, Ronaldo was the most tweeted-about player despite going off injured and in tears after just 25 minutes.
MOST READ IN WORLD CUP 2018
@neymarjr
Google: The Brazil hero was the most-goggled player during the finals.
He overtook Messi and Ronaldo after an injury in the quarter-finals ended his tournament.
Neymar got 4MILLION mentions on social media the day he was hurt against Colombia.
Twitter: NEYMAR'S first tweet after he completed his world record £198m transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain last summer got 50,000 retweets and likes in the space of the first hour.
And in case you forgot...
- GERMAN Chancellor Angela Merkel made the most of social media when her nation won the final, posing for selfies and group pictures which flooded social media platforms that day.
- MARS, makers of Snickers, was among companies to make the most of the social-media frenzy sparked by Uruguay star Luis Suarez’s bite on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini. It put out this tweet with the message ‘Hey @luis16suarez. Next time you’re hungry just grab a Snickers’.
ALAN SHEARER Brazil are ultimate entertainers… but let’s hope England can thrill in Russia
- ONE of the top-trending hashtags of the 2014 tournament was #ThingsTimHowardCanSave.
- After the USA keeper’s heroic display in their battling last-16 defeat by Belgium, people reckoned he could save everything from money off your car insurance to the victims of Jaws.
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