In January 2019, an account with zero followers posted a stock photo of a plain brown egg with a singular mission: beat Kylie Jenner’s world record, proving that a piece of breakfast food could become a global phenomenon by mobilizing the internet’s collective sense of humor. For nearly four years, that egg reigned supreme, but today’s digital landscape looks entirely different, turning the race for the most liked Instagram post into a fascinating battleground where once-in-a-generation cultural milestones like Lionel Messi’s World Cup victory compete directly with hyper-optimized, short-form video loops engineered by ordinary creators. To capture the world’s attention on this scale today, a post can no longer rely purely on casual celebrity power; it requires either deep emotional narrative payoff, algorithmic loop mastery, or a gamified community mission.
The 10 Most Liked Instagram Posts
1. Lionel Messi (@leomessi) — 74.6M+ Likes
The absolute peak of internet history belongs to Messi celebrating his 2022 FIFA World Cup victory at Lusail Stadium in Qatar. Prior to this moment, Messi had won virtually every trophy in football history except the World Cup, leading to a decade-long debate over his legacy. When Argentina finally secured the title in a thrilling penalty shootout against France, this carousel of celebratory images served as the emotional climax for sports fans worldwide, instantly turning it into a historic digital milestone.
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2. The World Record Egg (@world_record_egg) — 60.5M+ Likes
The internet’s favorite anomaly is a simple stock photo of a plain brown egg uploaded in January 2019 by British advertising executive Chris Godfrey. The post had a singular, explicit mission: to bypass the then-record holder, Kylie Jenner’s birth announcement of her daughter Stormi (18 million likes). The campaign weaponized internet culture, turning a meaningless piece of breakfast food into a hilarious protest against high-gloss influencer culture that united millions of users across every demographic.
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3. Lionel Messi (@leomessi) — 53.4M+ Likes
Messi claims the third spot with a candid, cozy photograph of himself sleeping soundly in bed while tightly holding the golden FIFA World Cup trophy. Posted just days after the grueling tournament ended, this image humanized the global superstar, giving fans an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at his pure relief and exhaustion after fulfilling his lifelong career dream.
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4. Kishore Mondal (@kishore_mondal_official) — 51.4M+ Likes
This incredibly viral Reel from Kishore Mondal (@kishore_mondal_official) features an engaging singing performance to the popular Bollywood song “Jeene Laga Hoon.” Notably, the video went viral as part of a series where Kishore performs alongside his charismatic 6-year-old brother, Krish Mondal, using the signature hook line “Auto tune left the chat.” Consequently, this organic, raw charm triggered Instagram’s recommendation engine, demonstrating how the Instagram Reels algorithm can turn ordinary creators into global sensations”. Furthermore, it drove exceptionally high loop retention, thereby propelling an everyday creator straight into the history books alongside global icons.
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5. Insta360 (@Insta360) — 47.4M+ Likes
This post represents a massive win for tech-driven brand content. Specifically, by mounting a tiny, lightweight action camera directly onto a walking toddler, the brand captured a highly immersive, adorable, first-person perspective of the world. Furthermore, because the video required absolutely zero language barrier to understand, it was able to easily tap into a global audience. Consequently, the algorithm pushed the content aggressively, proving that the platform heavily rewards wholesome, novel family content.
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6. Justin Flom (@justinflom) — 46.4M+ Likes
Sliding into number six is a mind-bending illusion Reel filmed inside a whimsical Vegas Fun House by popular content creator Justin Flom. The video relies entirely on visual curiosity, practical effects, and clever editing tricks. Because the illusion is difficult to decipher on the very first watch, viewers naturally let the video loop multiple times, driving up the retention metrics that the algorithm values most.
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7. Bredy e Guci (@bredypett) — 45.0M+ Likes
This incredibly viral Reel from Bredy e Guci (@bredypett) highlights the platform’s enduring love for wholesome relationship dynamics between children and animals. The footage captures small toddlers playing and interacting gently with massive, fluffy dogs. Consequently, the universal warmth of the video triggered an avalanche of shares and saves, thereby proving that simple, emotionally comforting content can easily outpace high-budget studio productions.
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8. EpicFlipzAndKickz (@epicflipzandkickz) — 44.6M+ Likes
High-skill coordination and satisfying payoffs take center stage in a fast-paced trick shot Reel from EpicFlipzAndKickz (@epicflipzandkickz). The video captures three young children executing a flawlessly timed, multi-layered bottle flip stunt on the very first try. In addition to the sheer suspense of the setup, the immediate, high-energy celebration of the kids made it a highly shareable clip that users rewatched repeatedly.
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9. Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) — 41.1M+ Likes
The ninth spot returns to high-profile celebrity marketing with an iconic post by football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano). This feature highlights a dark, moody photograph shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz for a Louis Vuitton advertising campaign just ahead of the 2022 World Cup. It depicts football’s two biggest rivals, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, intensely focused on a game of chess played on a piece of luxury luggage. Ultimately, the image symbolized a generation of sporting excellence, thus generating historic engagement across both athletes’ profiles.
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10. Lionel Messi (@leomessi) — 40.9M+ Likes
Rounding out the top ten is Lionel Messi yet again, cementing his total digital dominance during his championship run. This candid, triumphant snapshot features a beaming Messi sitting on an airplane heading back home to Argentina while proudly cradling the World Cup trophy in his lap. It served as the perfect transition piece, signaling the end of the tournament and the beginning of the massive national celebrations back home.
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Strategic Breakdown: The 3 Core Drivers of Viral Success
Earning tens of millions of double-taps isn’t a random guessing game. When you dissect the current leaderboard, viral success on the platform tracks directly back to three core strategies:
- The Narrative Payoff (The Messi Effect): Capitalizes on long-term emotional investment. Lionel Messi’s World Cup photos succeeded because they served as the “series finale” to a 15-year real-world journey. The lesson: capturing the climax of a long-standing story triggers massive engagement.
- The Loop & Hook Economy (The Reels Shift): Bypasses traditional fame by optimizing for the Instagram Reels algorithm. Unknown creators match global icons by using instant, language-free visual hooks (like trick shots, illusions, or animals). The lesson: high retention and seamless loops force the algorithm to push content globally.
- The Gamified Inside Joke (The World Record Egg): Leverages community mobilization by turning engagement into a game. A simple photo of an egg dominated by framing its likes as a shared mission to “dethrone a celebrity record.” The lesson: a collective internet inside joke can unite people faster than a multi-million dollar marketing budget.