List of most-liked Instagram posts

In the sprawling digital landscape of Instagram, likes aren't just vanity metrics; they're powerful indicators of collective attention, cultural moments, and viral phenomena. This list reveals which posts have captured the most hearts and minds globally, offering a fascinating glimpse into what truly resonates with millions of people. From a simple egg to a triumphant athlete, the stories behind these most-liked posts are often as captivating as the images themselves. A simple photo of an egg once shattered Instagram's like record, demonstrating the power of collective internet action. Major global events, particularly sports, can generate unprecedented social media engagement, with Lionel Messi's World Cup win setting a new all-time record. While celebrity power is undeniable, the most-liked posts often reflect broader cultural narratives, unexpected virality, and moments of shared emotion.

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In the sprawling digital landscape of Instagram, likes aren't just vanity metrics; they're powerful indicators of collective attention, cultural moments, and viral phenomena. This list reveals which posts have captured the most hearts and minds globally, offering a fascinating glimpse into what truly resonates with millions of people. From a simple egg to a triumphant athlete, the stories behind these most-liked posts are often as captivating as the images themselves.

The Dawn of Digital Records

For years, the title of 'most-liked Instagram post' was a coveted crown, typically held by global superstars like Kylie Jenner. Her initial post, celebrating the birth of her daughter, amassed an astounding 18.6 million likes, a figure that seemed almost insurmountable at the time. It was a testament to the immense influence of celebrity in the early days of Instagram's dominance.

The Egg That Conquered Instagram

Then, on January 4, 2019, a seemingly unassuming challenger emerged: an account named @worldrecordegg. Its sole purpose was delightfully clear—to post a picture of an ordinary egg and collectively dethrone Kylie. This audacious goal captured the internet's imagination, proving that sometimes, the simplest things can spark the biggest movements.

The photo itself was an image originally taken by Serghei Platanov for Shutterstock years prior, innocently titled 'eggs isolated on white background.' But in the hands of advertising creative Chris Godfrey and his friends, it became a rallying cry. Within days, the egg's likes skyrocketed, symbolizing a collective internet effort to achieve a whimsical, yet monumental, goal.

On January 14, 2019, the egg post officially surpassed Kylie Jenner's record, eventually reaching over 60 million likes. The internet had spoken, and its chosen champion was a humble egg. Kylie herself responded good-naturedly with a video of her cracking an egg, quipping, 'Take that little egg.'

A Global Victory: Messi's Unstoppable Rise

Fast forward to December 2022, and the world was gripped by the FIFA World Cup. Argentina, led by football legend Lionel Messi, achieved a historic victory. Messi's post-match carousel of photos, showing him lifting the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy and celebrating with his teammates, was more than just pictures—it was the culmination of a nation's dream.

The emotional resonance of Messi's triumph translated into an unprecedented wave of digital adoration. His post garnered 10 million likes within just 39 minutes of being shared. The following day, it shattered the record for most likes in 24 hours, hitting an astonishing 50 million.

Just two days after posting, on December 20, 2022, Messi's celebration officially dethroned the @worldrecordegg, soaring past 56 million likes. The internet, once united by an egg, now united in celebrating a global sports icon and a truly iconic moment in sporting history.

But the records didn't stop there. Within 48 hours, Messi's post surpassed 64 million likes, making it the most-liked social media post ever across all platforms. It eclipsed YouTube's 'Despacito' music video (50.2 million likes) and TikTok's top post by Bella Poarch (60.3 million likes). This truly was a global phenomenon, achieving 60 and 70 million likes in just three days.

The Reigning Champion

As of early 2026, Lionel Messi's post celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup victory remains the most-liked Instagram post, boasting over 74 million likes from diverse accounts worldwide. It stands as a monumental testament to the power of shared human emotion and collective celebration in the digital age.

The Top 20: A Snapshot of Influence

Looking at the current top 20 most-liked posts, a clear pattern emerges: football, particularly the 2022 World Cup, dominates. Lionel Messi alone accounts for six of these posts, while his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, features in five. Their combined presence underscores the unparalleled global appeal of these athletes and the sport itself.

Rank	Account name(s)	Owner	Post description	Likes (millions)	Date posted (UTC)
1	@leomessi	Lionel Messi	Celebrating winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup	74.7	December 18, 2022
2	@world_record_egg	Chris Godfrey	An egg	60.3	January 4, 2019
3	@leomessi	Lionel Messi	Lionel Messi in bed with the FIFA World Cup Trophy	53.5	December 20, 2022
4	@kishore_mondal_official	Kishore Mondal	Reel singing "Jeene Laga Hoon"	51.8	April 11, 2025
5	@Insta360	Insta360	Video of a tiny camera filming a toddler walking	42.8	May 11, 2025
6	@cristiano	Cristiano Ronaldo	Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing chess, advertising for Louis Vuitton	41.3	November 19, 2022
7	@leomessi	Lionel Messi	Lionel Messi on an airplane with the FIFA World Cup Trophy	41.0	December 19, 2022
8	@taylorswift @killatrav	Taylor Swift Travis Kelce	Engagement announcement	37.6	August 26, 2025
9	@emilio.piano	Emil Reinert	Reel of a little girl singing "My Heart Will Go On"	37.1	September 8, 2024
10	@leomessi	Lionel Messi	Lionel Messi’s visit to Camp Nou	35.5	November 10, 2025

Beyond the Pitch: Other Viral Sensations

While football dominates, other posts have broken through, showcasing the diverse appeal of Instagram. These include unique reels, heartfelt announcements, and even posts from unexpected sources, reminding us that viral success can come from anywhere. The second most-liked post, for instance, remains the unassuming 'egg'.

Notable non-football entries include a reel by Kishore Mondal, a charming video from Insta360, and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement announcement. Even a final post from the late artist XXXTentacion has resonated deeply, highlighting how social media captures both life's joyous and somber moments.

A Look Back: The Shifting Crowns

The title of 'most-liked Instagram post' has changed hands many times over the years, mirroring shifts in celebrity culture and global events. From Justin Bieber's early posts with Will Smith and Selena Gomez, to Kim Kardashian's wedding kiss, and Kendall Jenner's heart-shaped hair, each record holder marked a significant moment in pop culture.

Beyoncé's iconic pregnancy announcement in 2017 was a major moment, as was Kylie Jenner's post introducing her daughter Stormi. Each record-breaking post tells a story, not just about likes, but about what captured the world's collective imagination at that particular time, tracing a fascinating evolution of digital popularity.

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List of most-liked Instagram posts

Lionel Messi, the current record-holder, at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

This list of most-liked Instagram posts contains the top 20 posts by number of likes on the photo and video-sharing social networking service Instagram.

The most-liked post as of July 2026 is of the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup win at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, which has been liked by over 74 million different accounts. Uploaded on December 18, 2022, the post shows Messi lifting his first World Cup Trophy after Argentina's win over France in the final. It is also the most liked post of all time across all social media platforms.

History

List of most-liked Instagram posts

On January 4, 2019, the account @worldrecordegg posted a photo of an egg with the specific purpose of surpassing the then most-liked Instagram post, a picture of Kylie Jenner's daughter with 18.6 million likes. The photo of the egg was originally taken by Serghei Platanov, who then posted it to Shutterstock on June 23, 2015, with the title "eggs isolated on white background." The creator of the @worldrecordegg account was Chris Godfrey, an advertising creative, and his friends CJ Brown and Alissa Khan-Whelan.

On January 14, 2019, the egg post became the most-liked post on Instagram, to which the egg's account owner wrote, "This is madness. What a time to be alive." Jenner responded with a video on Instagram of her cracking an egg open with the caption: "Take that little egg." Platanov was surprised by his photo's popularity, writing, "Egg is just an egg."

On December 18, 2022, footballer Lionel Messi posted a carousel with photos of him lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy and celebrating with his teammates after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with Argentina, which reached 10 million likes within the first 39 minutes of its sharing. The following day, the post became the most-liked Instagram post in the first 24 hours of its sharing, with 50 million likes. On December 20, 2022, the post reached over 56 million likes, surpassing the previous record held by @worldrecordegg.

Within 48 hours of Messi posting, the Instagram post had surpassed 64 million likes, and in doing so, it became the most-liked social media post ever across all social media platforms, by overtaking the most-liked post on YouTube, the music video for the song "Despacito", which had reached 50.2 million likes, and the most-liked post on TikTok, a video uploaded by Bella Poarch featuring her lip-syncing to the song "Sophie Aspin Send", which had reached 60.3 million likes. This also meant that it became the first ever post on Instagram to reach 60 and 70 million likes, achieving that in just 3 days since it was posted.

Top 20

List of most-liked Instagram posts

Lionel Messi makes 5 while Cristiano Ronaldo makes 4 out of the top 20 most-liked posts.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Account name(s)</th><th>Owner</th><th>Post description</th><th>Post</th><th>Likes (millions)</th><th>Date posted (UTC)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Celebrating winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup</td><td></td><td>74.5</td><td>December 18, 2022</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>@worldrecordegg</td><td>Chris Godfrey</td><td>An egg</td><td></td><td>60.5</td><td>January 4, 2019</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>@justinflom</td><td>Justin Flom</td><td>Reel of a Vegas Fun House</td><td></td><td>54.3</td><td>February 1, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Lionel Messi in bed with the FIFA World Cup Trophy</td><td></td><td>53.4</td><td>December 20, 2022</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>@kishoremondalofficial</td><td>Kishore Mondal</td><td>Reel singing "Jeene Laga Hoon"</td><td></td><td>51.4</td><td>April 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>@Insta360</td><td>Insta360</td><td>Video of a tiny camera filming a toddler walking</td><td></td><td>47.0</td><td>May 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>@isabellastricklandd</td><td>Isabella Strickland</td><td>Child roaming around wearing a POV camera</td><td></td><td>46.5</td><td>April 13, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>@bredypett</td><td>Bredy e Guci</td><td>Reel of children with dogs</td><td></td><td>45.0</td><td>October 12, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>@epicflipzandkickz</td><td>EpicFlipzAndKickz</td><td>Reel of three children doing a bottle flip</td><td></td><td>44.2</td><td>November 24, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>@cristiano</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo</td><td>Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo playing chess, advertising for Louis Vuitton</td><td></td><td>41.1</td><td>November 19, 2022</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Lionel Messi on an airplane with the FIFA World Cup Trophy</td><td></td><td>40.9</td><td>December 19, 2022</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Visit to Camp Nou</td><td></td><td>38.6</td><td>November 10, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>@emilio.piano</td><td>Emil Reinert</td><td>Reel of a little girl singing "Pretty Little Baby"</td><td></td><td>37.7</td><td>November 24, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>@taylorswift @killatrav</td><td>Taylor Swift Travis Kelce</td><td>Engagement announcement</td><td></td><td>37.5</td><td>August 26, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>@emilio.piano</td><td>Emil Reinert</td><td>Reel of a little girl singing "My Heart Will Go On"</td><td></td><td>36.9</td><td>September 8, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>@cristiano</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo taking an icy dip in snowy Lapland, Finland</td><td></td><td>35.2</td><td>December 24, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>@xxxtentacion</td><td>XXXTentacion</td><td>Final post before his death</td><td></td><td>34</td><td>May 19, 2018</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>@cristiano @georginagio</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo Georgina Rodríguez</td><td>Wedding of Cristiano Ronaldo to Georgina Rodríguez</td><td></td><td>33.8</td><td>August 11, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup win in Argentina</td><td></td><td>33.2</td><td>December 21, 2022</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>@cristiano @alnassr</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo Al-Nassr FC</td><td>Announcement of Cristiano Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr FC</td><td></td><td>32.7</td><td>December 30, 2022</td></tr></tbody></table>

Non-football-related top 20

List of most-liked Instagram posts

Most-liked Instagram posts posted by non-association footballers.

<table><thead><tr><th>Rank</th><th>Account name</th><th>Owner</th><th>Post description</th><th>Post</th><th>Likes (millions)</th><th>Date posted (UTC)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>@worldrecordegg</td><td>Chris Godfrey</td><td>Photo of an egg</td><td></td><td>60.5</td><td>January 4, 2019</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>@justinflom</td><td>Justin Flom</td><td>Reel of a Vegas Fun House</td><td></td><td>54.3</td><td>February 1, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>@kishoremondalofficial</td><td>Kishore Mondal</td><td>Reel singing "Jeene Laga Hoon"</td><td></td><td>51.1</td><td>April 11, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>@Insta360</td><td>Insta360</td><td>Video of a tiny camera filming a toddler walking</td><td></td><td>47.0</td><td>April 22, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>@isabellastricklandd</td><td>Isabella Strickland</td><td>Child roaming around wearing a POV camera</td><td></td><td>46.5</td><td>April 13, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>@bredypett</td><td>Bredy e Guci</td><td>Reel of children with dogs</td><td></td><td>44.7</td><td>October 12, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>@epicflipzandkickz</td><td>EpicFlipzAndKickz</td><td>Reel of three children doing a bottle flip</td><td></td><td>44.2</td><td>November 24, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>@emilio.piano</td><td>Emil Reinert</td><td>Reel of a little girl singing "Pretty Little Baby"</td><td></td><td>37.7</td><td>November 24, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>@taylorswift @killatrav</td><td>Taylor Swift Travis Kelce</td><td>Engagement announcement</td><td></td><td>37.5</td><td>August 26, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>@emilio.piano</td><td>Emil Reinert</td><td>Reel of a little girl singing "My Heart Will Go On"</td><td></td><td>36.9</td><td>September 8, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>11</td><td>@xxxtentacion</td><td>XXXTentacion</td><td>Final post before his death</td><td></td><td>34.1</td><td>May 19, 2018</td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>@jiangzhibin24</td><td>liz6</td><td>Reel of an AI-generated sunset</td><td></td><td>32.3</td><td>August 5, 2023</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>@xpogohenry</td><td>Henry Cabelus</td><td>Pogo stick stunt</td><td></td><td>31.4</td><td>July 6, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>@aurelien.froissart</td><td>Aurélien Froissart</td><td>Reel of a girl playing "Carol of the Bells" on the violin</td><td></td><td>31.3</td><td>December 23, 2023</td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>@kavadidruvamkalasamithi</td><td>Druvam Kalasamithi</td><td>Reel of a colorful wedding entrance</td><td></td><td>30.7</td><td>May 12, 2025</td></tr><tr><td>16</td><td>@alinesarakbii @mostafasrakbi</td><td>aline-sarakbii mostafasrakbi</td><td>Reel of a baby</td><td></td><td>30.7</td><td>June 10, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>17</td><td>@popcj6</td><td>popcj6</td><td>Reel of humans taking off animal masks in front of animal mothers</td><td></td><td>29.8</td><td>February 27, 2024</td></tr><tr><td>19</td><td>@cristiano</td><td>Cristiano Ronaldo</td><td>Photo With Us President Donald Trump</td><td></td><td>29.2</td><td>19 November 2025</td></tr><tr><td>18</td><td>@rashmikamandanna</td><td>Rashmika Mandanna</td><td>Photos celebrating her wedding with Vijay Deverakonda</td><td></td><td>28.6</td><td>February 26, 2026</td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>@sonyakisa8</td><td>Anastasia Averina</td><td>Funny reel of a cat</td><td></td><td>28.3</td><td>March 3, 2026</td></tr><tr><th colspan="7">As of 3 October 2026</th></tr></tbody></table>

Historical most-liked posts

List of most-liked Instagram posts

The following table lists posts that were once the most-liked post on Instagram.

<table><thead><tr><th>Account name</th><th>Owner</th><th>Post description</th><th>Post</th><th>Likes (millions)</th><th>Date posted (UTC)</th><th>Date achieved (UTC)</th><th>Days held</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>@leomessi</td><td>Lionel Messi</td><td>Celebrating winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup</td><td></td><td>74.8</td><td>December 18, 2022</td><td>December 20, 2022</td><td>1,384</td></tr><tr><td>@worldrecordegg</td><td>Chris Godfrey</td><td>Photo of an egg</td><td></td><td>60.5</td><td>January 4, 2019</td><td>January 14, 2019</td><td>1,436</td></tr><tr><td>@kyliejenner</td><td>Kylie Jenner</td><td>First photo of her daughter</td><td></td><td>17.7</td><td>February 6, 2018</td><td>February 7, 2018</td><td>341</td></tr><tr><td>@beyonce</td><td>Beyoncé</td><td>Pregnancy announcement</td><td></td><td>10.6</td><td>February 1, 2017</td><td>February 1, 2017</td><td>371</td></tr><tr><td>@selenagomez</td><td>Selena Gomez</td><td>Coca-Cola advertisement</td><td></td><td>6.6</td><td>June 25, 2016</td><td>July 12, 2016</td><td>204</td></tr><tr><td>@lilbieber</td><td>Justin Bieber</td><td>Kiss with Selena Gomez</td><td></td><td>4.1</td><td>March 19, 2016</td><td>May 4, 2016</td><td>69</td></tr><tr><td>@kendalljenner</td><td>Kendall Jenner</td><td>Heart-shaped hairdo</td><td></td><td>3.5</td><td>May 25, 2015</td><td>June 26, 2015</td><td>313</td></tr><tr><td>@kimkardashian</td><td>Kim Kardashian</td><td>Wedding kiss with Kanye West</td><td></td><td>2.2</td><td>May 27, 2014</td><td>May 29, 2014</td><td>393</td></tr><tr><td>@lilbieber</td><td>Justin Bieber</td><td>Hug with Selena Gomez</td><td></td><td>2.1</td><td>January 4, 2014</td><td>2014</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>@lilbieber</td><td>Justin Bieber</td><td>Photo with Will Smith</td><td></td><td>1.4</td><td>August 15, 2013</td><td>2013</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>@lilbieber</td><td>Justin Bieber</td><td>Photo with his siblings</td><td></td><td>0.2</td><td>December 29, 2011</td><td>2012</td><td>—</td></tr><tr><th colspan="8">As of 3 October 2026</th></tr></tbody></table>