Best viral moments from the 2026 FIFA World Cup: The memes, photos, videos and internet sensations that defined the tournament
Over the last six weeks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup we saw goals aplenty, sensational saves, and unforgettable moments.The sport of soccer won on the pitch, but the internet helped make this tournament immortal. Long after Spain lifted the World Cup on Sunday, much of what people will remember from this summer won’t be found in any match report.
It will live in the viral videos, photos, memes, TikToks, GIFs and moments that bounced across our phones and timelines at the speed of light. For the first World Cup in history, there were 48 nations, 104 matches, across three countries in the United States, Canada and Mexico.The tournament didn’t just play out inside 16 stadiums across the continent, it unfolded across social media where every celebration, awkward interview, celebrity cameo, and facial expression became fuel for the internet’s insatiable appetite. FIFA’s TikTok account generated more than 24 billion views during the tournament.
Fans created over 20 million World Cup-related videos, and official livestreams like iShowSpeed attracted millions of viewers. Here are the best viral moments from the 2026 FIFA World Cup:“Oh no, grey card again“The Messi Meme that will live foreverThe Cucurella Cat“I cannot speak English, but I am excited!”New York Giants QB Jameis Winston partakes in Japanese tradition of cleaning up trashKylian Mbappe’s slow motion lookThe AI-generated Erling Haaland eating videoKorean and Mexico fans uniting togetherNorway supporters perform the Viking Row on an NYC subway trainMadonna has Ronaldo and Ronaldinho as her designated driversAnna Taylor No JoyPosh Spice hates soccerLamine Yamal can’t pronounce his own nameMerlin the Duck breaks the internertErling Haaland leads the Viking Row after defeating BrazilDad buys giant World Cup ball The loyal 100-year-old Messi FanLamine Yamal’s little brother Keyne steals the showVozinha reunited with his motherErling Haaland takes a souvenir back to NorwayMexico’s manager for...