Press Release
Argentina rises to No. 1 in Sports Social Pulse rankings as World Cup gets underway
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Argentina has emerged as the top digital brand in international soccer in the latest Sports Social Pulse™ World Cup rankings, released as the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway across North America.
The rankings, developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, measure the effectiveness and influence of national teams across major social media platforms.
The biggest mover of the week, however, is the U.S. Men’s National Team — skyrocketing to No. 11 from No. 32 last week, following the team’s 4–1 victory over Paraguay. It was the first time the team has scored four goals in a World Cup match.
USA’s leap in the Sports Social Pulse rankings was fueled by a major Instagram surge — including adding nearly 150,000 followers and enjoying higher engagement.
“Many of the big names — including Argentina and France — have yet to play a match. But that doesn’t stop them from dominating on social media,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of South Carolina. “Even before putting a boot on the ball, the blue bloods continue to flex their digital presence through strong storytelling and cohesive social media strategies.”
Top 10 Sports Social Pulse Rankings
Argentina
France
Brazil
Portugal
England
Colombia
Mexico
Spain
Morocco
Germany
The Sports Social Pulse rankings evaluate how effectively national teams build audiences, distribute content, and generate engagement through their official channels. The rankings are published weekly throughout the tournament in the Sports Business Journal.
Mexico was one of the few Top 10 teams to slip this week, dropping two spots to No. 7 despite hosting and winning the opening match against South Africa. One factor is that Mexico’s social media presence is heavily dependent on X (formerly Twitter). It does not perform as strongly on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, which are increasingly important in the rankings.
Unlike traditional rankings based on wins, losses, or betting odds, the Sports Social Pulse measures digital influence through a proprietary methodology that evaluates audience size, visibility, engagement, growth and cross-platform performance.
The rankings focus exclusively on official national team accounts and do not include individual player accounts.
As the tournament progresses, the Sports Social Pulse rankings offer a real-time view of how national teams are performing in the global attention economy — where audience growth, engagement, and platform reach are increasingly central to long-term brand value.
About the Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the College of Information and Communications’ Social Media Insights Lab at the University of South Carolina, the Sports Social Pulse™ measures digital influence across sports by analyzing audience size, visibility, engagement, growth, and platform performance.
About Sports Business Journal
Sports Business Journal (SBJ), a subsidiary of Leaders Group Sports, is the leading media platform covering the business of sports, providing news, analysis, and data to industry leaders.