The Copa América, the oldest national team tournament in the world, is still underway. Sixteen teams are fighting to be the new champions of America on American soil. Likewise, the significance of this continental tournament can evidently be noted both in football and in the digital world.
Without a doubt, figures such as Lionel Messi, Vinicius Jr, Darwin Núñez, Luis Diaz, Moises Caicedo, among other references echo in world football and their names are repeated throughout the tournament, either to fill them with praise or to criticize them for his performances on the field. Social networks become a field of constant interactions that end up being relevant to the actions of the competition.
For this reason, the consulting firm specialized in strategic communications, SmartPR, carried out an exhaustive analysis of more than 146 million social media accounts. The objective of this study was to identify both the individual players and the most influential national teams with the greatest impact on the various digital platforms using social listening tools such as Meltwater.
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In Colombia, the conversation around the Copa América already accumulates 82,200 mentions with a daily average of 501 interactions. The spikes in activity are due to the performance of the national team and the excitement generated by the pre-tournament matches.
“Sporting events, such as the Copa América, demonstrate the power of digitalization in sport. Social media presence not only amplifies the visibility of players and teams, but also creates a platform for meaningful interactions and commercial opportunities. In this sense, the Copa América is a clear example of how sport and the digital world intertwine to create an enriching experience for all involved,” concluded Fabián Motta, founder and director of SmartPR.
The study revealed that the total number of followers of all participating teams reaches 146,631,712. These figures reflect not only the passion for football, but also the ability of players and teams to connect with their followers through platforms such as Instagram, X, Facebook and TikTok.
Featured groups and teams
Group A
- Argentina: leads the number of followers on Instagram (13.3M), TikTok (6M) and Twitter (5.9M). Lionel Messi, Ángel Di María and Julián Álvarez are the most popular players.
- Chile: has its greatest support on TikTok with 3.1M followers.
B Group
- Mexico: dominates all social networks with 7.7M on Instagram, 11M on Facebook, 6.7M on Twitter and 3.8M on TikTok. Edson Álvarez, Santiago Giménez and Alexis Vega are the most influential players.
Group C
- United States: Leads on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with millions of followers. Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Gio Reyna are the most followed figures.
- Uruguay: Stands out on TikTok with a large audience, highlighting Luis Suárez and Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
Group D
- Brazil: Has the largest digital support on Instagram and Facebook, with Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo and Lucas Paquetá leading in followers.
- Colombia: Dominates on TikTok and Twitter, with James Rodríguez, David Ospina and Luis Díaz as the main figures.
Lionel Messi is the most followed player in the entire Copa América with 503 million followers on Instagram. Other notable players include:
- Brazil: Vinícius Jr (48.1M), Rodrygo (18.3M)
- Argentina: Ángel Di María (26.7M), Julián Álvarez (16M)
- Colombia: James Rodríguez (57.7M), David Ospina (6.1M)
Fabián Motta highlights that “currently, athletes must maintain a solid digital presence to create better relationships with their fans and expand their spectrum not only in football, but also as products. An effective digital strategy allows them to connect emotionally with their audience, strengthening their personal brand and opening new business opportunities beyond the playing field.”
The main objective of the study is to measure the digital influence of teams and players, providing a comprehensive view of the impact of each one in the social sphere.
