Cape Verde (population 530,000) drew with both World Cup finalists \u2014 Spain and Argentina \u2014 in regular time, though it went on to lose to Argentina. Before the unforgettable draw against Spain, Vozinha had about 50,000 Instagram followers. By the next morning, that number was closer to 10 million. As of today, he has 29.3 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have worked my whole life for this moment,\u201d he said in his post-match interview. \u201cI\u2019m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving, but I continued because of this dream.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s not the only new social media celebrity. China, whose team didn\u2019t qualify for the tournament, ended up cheering for the only person representing the country<\/a> at the World Cup \u2014 a referee. The referee, Ma Ning, amassed new followers on Weibo and Rednote, an Instagram-like platform in China, and now has sponsorship deals.<\/p>\n The pure elation of Mexico<\/strong><\/p>\n Mexico, one of the tournament\u2019s co-hosts, had its most successful World Cup in generations. The mood in the country? As one of The Athletic correspondents described it<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cGreen shirts are beyond ubiquitous and not just on humans: There have been ducks in Mexico kits, dogs in Mexico kits, religious icons in Mexico kits. Somewhere out there, no doubt, is a Mexico kit with its own Mexico kit.\u201d<\/p>\n