If you’re still daydreaming about Messi’s penalty goal that won Argentina the 2022 FIFA World Cup, take comfort in knowing you’re not alone.
But since we’re on the topic, we thought we’d share some interesting insights about how the MENA region celebrated the world-famous football competition on Instagram.
Here’s what the American social networking platform released . . .
1. The Top Mentioned World Cup Football Players
It should come as no surprise that the majority of names on this list are from Morocco’s national team, whereas only 2 are from Saudi Arabia’s team. And they are:
- Yassine Bounou
- Achraf Hakimi
- Hakim Ziyech
- Youssef En-Nesyri
- Salem Aldawsari
- Sofiane Boufal
- Sofyan Amrabat
- Saleh Alshehri
- Achraf Dari
- Abdelhamid Sabiri
2. The Top Countries Who Raised Morocco’s Flag
Morocco was undisputedly the MENA region’s trailblazer of this year’s World Cup. Being the first Arab or African squad to ever qualify for the semi-final of a World Cup, the country gained regional praise on Instagram. And here are the top countries that spearheaded that praise:
- Jordan
- Egypt
- Saudi Arabia
- Morocco
- Qatar
Needless to say, Morocco also basked itself in global glory from countries who celebrated its unmatched victory on the platform, with these countries being its top admirers:
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Jordan
- Germany
3. The Top MENA Hashtags for the World Cup
Morocco was once again honored in the region’s trending hashtags, but it wasn’t the only listed country. Serving as the first Arab host country for the World Cup, Qatar was given not one, but two trending hashtags on the list:
- #qatar2022
- #worldcup
- #qatar
- #fifaworldcup
- #fifaworldcup2022
- #morocco
4. The Most Played World Cup Reels in the MENA Region
If you’re thinking the reels on this list were strictly related to the game, think again.
1. Dina El Wraidat: Where to Watch the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
Securing the number 1 spot, was a reel posted by Qatar-based blogger, Diana El Wraidat, which generated 43,297,359 views and 2,692,104 likes. Wraidat’s reel served as a venue suggestion for viewers to enjoy the match in Qatar’s sun-soaked Mina District. The content creator cleverly used the official 2022 soundtrack for the World Cup, Dreamers by BTS and Jung Kook; a tactic used by many to accelerate engagement and viewership.
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2. Limitless Sport: A Comical Lense on Monumental Moments
Coming in second on the list was a comical video posted by Limitless Sport, that combined two world-famous moments. One was from a famous Paris Saint Germain match featuring both players Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. The footage used in the reel was of Neymar laughing combined with an insert of the 2022 World Cup where a goal was missed due to a player losing control of the ball for an unknown reason. The comical video received 27,349,397 views and 1,548,241 likes.
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3. Mide Hadad: Proof That Stress Causes the Best People to Lose Focus
Once again, comedy proved to be the star of this year’s popular World Cup reels. The third video on this list was footage of Bayern Munich player, Lucas Hernandez, who mistakenly picked up the ball despite it not crossing the white line, and received a yellow card for doing so. The video gained 26,829,555 views and 1,531,972 likes.
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4. Swann Ritossa: A Reminder to Not Get Too Confident
At this point, you’ve probably presumed this fourth video was also of a comical nature. However, this time, it was about an entire team; not just one player. Posted by Milan-based football content creator, Swann Ritossa, the video displayed Portugal’s cumulative wins until its match with Morocco in the quarter-finals, where Morocco won 1-0. The video generated 21,820, 912 views and 1,867,489 likes
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5. Fatma El Morabiti: Praising Morocco’s Talents
Last but not least, the most popular reel for this year’s World Cup, was posted by Morocco-based blogger, Fatma El Morabiti. Fatma’s reel was an admiration of local singer, Lamya E. Chafik, whose voice resembled Shakira’s a great deal. Chafik had created a remix of Shakira’s world-famous 2010 “Waka Waka” World Cup anthem while chanting encouraging lyrics for Morocco’s team. The video received 12,705,646 views and 714,169 likes.
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Our final thoughts?
Viral content doesn’t necessarily have to be related to one main event, but rather an assortment of time-relevant content that is uniquely presented and remembered for years to come; be it comical or sentimental.
