Likes
The Post With the Most Likes on Instagram: Top 20 Most Liked Posts
- Lionel Messi's World Cup carousel from December 18, 2022 is the most liked Instagram post, with 74.5 million likes as listed on Wikipedia on November 5, 2026.
- The egg photo held the record from January 14, 2019 until Messi's post passed it on December 20, 2022.
- Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo hold 9 of the top 20 spots between them, while family and kids Reels fill much of the rest.
- Like counts on record posts keep moving, so every number in a list like this is a snapshot with a date.
What is the post with the most likes on Instagram?
The post with the most likes on Instagram is Lionel Messi's World Cup carousel, posted on December 18, 2022, with 74.5 million likes as listed on Wikipedia's List of most-liked Instagram posts on November 5, 2026. The post shows Messi lifting the FIFA World Cup Trophy and celebrating with his Argentina teammates after the final against France.
The speed of the post is part of the record. As listed on the same Wikipedia page on November 5, 2026, it reached 10 million likes in its first 39 minutes and 50 million within its first day. On December 20, 2022 it passed the egg photo that had held the record for almost four years.
Wikipedia also lists it as the most liked post across all social media platforms. Within 48 hours it passed the most liked YouTube video, the "Despacito" music video at 50.2 million likes, and the most liked TikTok, a Bella Poarch video at 60.3 million likes, according to the same page.
The page's own tables differ a little: the top 20 table shows 74.5 million, while its history table shows 74.8 million. Record posts gain likes every day, so treat every count here as a dated snapshot.
The 20 most liked Instagram posts in 2026
These are the 20 most liked Instagram posts, as listed on Wikipedia's List of most-liked Instagram posts on November 5, 2026. Likes are in millions and dates are the day each post went up.
| Rank | Account | Post | Likes (millions) | Posted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | @leomessi | Celebrating the 2022 FIFA World Cup win | 74.5 | Dec 18, 2022 |
| 2 | @world_record_egg | A photo of an egg | 60.5 | Jan 4, 2019 |
| 3 | @justinflom | Reel of a Vegas fun house | 54.0 | Feb 1, 2026 |
| 4 | @leomessi | In bed with the World Cup trophy | 53.2 | Dec 20, 2022 |
| 5 | @kishore_mondal_official | Reel singing "Jeene Laga Hoon" | 51.4 | Apr 11, 2025 |
| 6 | @insta360 | Tiny camera filming a toddler walking | 47.0 | May 11, 2025 |
| 7 | @isabellastricklandd | Child wearing a POV camera | 46.5 | Apr 13, 2026 |
| 8 | @bredypett | Reel of children with dogs | 45.0 | Oct 12, 2025 |
| 9 | @epicflipzandkickz | Three children doing a bottle flip | 44.2 | Nov 24, 2025 |
| 10 | @cristiano | Messi and Ronaldo playing chess for Louis Vuitton | 41.1 | Nov 19, 2022 |
| 11 | @leomessi | On a plane with the World Cup trophy | 40.9 | Dec 19, 2022 |
| 12 | @leomessi | Visit to Camp Nou | 39.1 | Nov 10, 2025 |
| 13 | @emilio.piano | Girl singing "Pretty Little Baby" | 37.7 | Nov 24, 2025 |
| 14 | @taylorswift and @killatrav | Engagement announcement | 37.5 | Aug 26, 2025 |
| 15 | @emilio.piano | Girl singing "My Heart Will Go On" | 36.9 | Sep 8, 2024 |
| 16 | @cristiano | Icy dip in snowy Lapland | 35.2 | Dec 24, 2024 |
| 17 | @xxxtentacion | Final post before his death | 34 | May 19, 2018 |
| 18 | @cristiano and @georginagio | Wedding of Ronaldo and Georgina Rodriguez | 34 | Aug 11, 2026 |
| 19 | @leomessi | World Cup celebration in Argentina | 33.2 | Dec 21, 2022 |
| 20 | @cristiano and @alnassr | Ronaldo joining Al-Nassr | 32.7 | Dec 30, 2022 |
Source line for every count above: as listed on Wikipedia, List of most-liked Instagram posts, on November 5, 2026. Wikipedia rounds to one decimal place, editors update the list often, and new posts can enter the top 20 at any time, so the live counts on Instagram keep moving.
Which photo has the most likes on Instagram?
The single photo with the most likes on Instagram is the egg from @world_record_egg, with 60.5 million likes as listed on Wikipedia on November 5, 2026. Messi's record post is a carousel of several photos, so the egg remains the top one-image post on the list.
The account posted the egg on January 4, 2019 with one goal: beat the most liked post at the time, Kylie Jenner's first photo of her daughter, which then had 18.6 million likes. The egg passed it on January 14, 2019, ten days later.
The story behind it is simple. According to the same Wikipedia page, the image was a stock photo taken by Serghei Platanov and uploaded to Shutterstock in 2015. The account was created by advertising creative Chris Godfrey with two friends. The photographer's reaction became part of the legend: "Egg is just an egg."
The egg held the record until December 20, 2022, when Messi's World Cup post passed it. It is still the most liked post on Instagram that is not about football, as listed on the page's non-football top 20.
How the most liked Instagram post record changed over time
The record for most likes on Instagram has passed through pop stars, a reality TV family, an egg and a footballer. The egg and Messi sit far ahead of every earlier holder.
| Record holder | Post | Likes (millions) | Took the record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim Kardashian | Wedding kiss with Kanye West | 2.2 | May 29, 2014 |
| Kendall Jenner | Heart-shaped hairdo | 3.5 | Jun 26, 2015 |
| Justin Bieber | Kiss with Selena Gomez | 4.1 | May 4, 2016 |
| Selena Gomez | Coca-Cola ad | 6.6 | Jul 12, 2016 |
| Beyonce | Pregnancy announcement | 10.6 | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Kylie Jenner | First photo of her daughter | 17.7 | Feb 7, 2018 |
| Chris Godfrey | Photo of an egg | 60.5 | Jan 14, 2019 |
| Lionel Messi | World Cup celebration | 74.8 | Dec 20, 2022 |
Counts in this table are the current totals, as listed in Wikipedia's history table on November 5, 2026, not the totals on the day each post took the record. Earlier record holders from 2012 to 2014 were also Justin Bieber posts.
What are the most liked Instagram comments?
The most liked Instagram comment widely reported is Cristiano Ronaldo's reply to Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid transfer post from June 2024. Dexerto reported on June 7, 2024 that the reply had passed 5.1 million likes.
Ronaldo wrote that it was his turn to watch and that he was excited to see Mbappe "light up the Bernabeu". Dexerto noted that the Mbappe post itself had about 23 million likes, so even the record comment sat far below the post it was on.
Instagram does not publish an official ranking of comments, and no source we found keeps a live, dated list the way Wikipedia does for posts. Treat comment records as news reports with a date, not as a running chart.
The Ronaldo reply also shows how far comment likes trail post likes. Even the record comment collected less than a quarter of the likes on the post it sat under.
What do the most liked Instagram posts have in common?
The most liked Instagram posts share three things: a huge moment, a face people already love, and a story you get in one second. You do not need to read a caption to understand any of the top 20.
Big life moments
A World Cup win, an engagement, a wedding, a pregnancy announcement. As listed on Wikipedia on November 5, 2026, Messi holds 5 of the top 20 spots and Ronaldo holds 4, and most of those posts mark one career moment.
Kids, families and pets in short video
Children singing, a toddler walking, kids with dogs, a bottle flip. Of the 12 top 20 posts from 2024 onward, 8 come from creators, families and one camera brand rather than sports or music stars. A clear, warm moment travels far beyond the creator's own followers.
A simple challenge
The egg had one job: beat a record. People liked it to take part in the joke, which turned likes into the point of the post.
Easy to share
Each of these posts gave people a reason to send it to a friend. Shares pull in new eyes, and new eyes leave likes. Our guide on how to increase engagement on Instagram turns these patterns into steps for normal accounts.
What these records mean for your own Instagram posts
Record posts show that people like what others are already liking. A post with a healthy count looks worth a closer look, which is social proof at work, explained in our guide to social proof on Instagram.
- Post around real moments. Launches, wins, milestones and behind-the-scenes days carry more feeling than a routine update.
- Make it clear in one second. The top posts read instantly without a caption.
- Give people a reason to share. Something funny, useful or touching gets sent on.
- Post when your audience is online. See our guide to the best time to post on Instagram.
Some creators also give a brand-new post a starting count so early visitors are not looking at zero. If you choose to buy Instagram likes from SocialGrowthly, you only share the public post link, never a password. Bought likes add social proof to that post; they do not create real fans or sales by themselves, so the content still has to earn the rest.
Questions people also ask
What is the most liked Instagram post right now?
Lionel Messi's World Cup celebration carousel from December 18, 2022 is the most liked Instagram post. It had 74.5 million likes as listed on Wikipedia's List of most-liked Instagram posts on November 5, 2026. The egg photo from @world_record_egg is second with 60.5 million. Counts change daily, so check the live post for today's number.
What is the photo with the most likes on Instagram?
The egg photo from @world_record_egg is the most liked single photo, with 60.5 million likes as listed on Wikipedia on November 5, 2026. It was posted on January 4, 2019 to beat Kylie Jenner's record and took the top spot ten days later. Messi's record post is a carousel of several photos, not one image.
Who has the most posts in the top 20 most liked on Instagram?
Lionel Messi has 5 of the top 20 most liked Instagram posts, and Cristiano Ronaldo has 4, as listed on Wikipedia on November 5, 2026. Messi's entries are mostly from the days after the 2022 World Cup final. Ronaldo's include his chess photo with Messi, his wedding and his move to Al-Nassr.
How long did the egg hold the Instagram record?
The egg took the record on January 14, 2019 and lost it on December 20, 2022, when Messi's World Cup post passed it. As of November 5, 2026, Wikipedia's history table marks it as the longest record holder. Before the egg, Kylie Jenner held the record with the first photo of her daughter, which took the top spot on February 7, 2018.
What is the most liked comment on Instagram?
The most widely reported record is Cristiano Ronaldo's reply to Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid announcement in June 2024. Dexerto reported on June 7, 2024 that it had passed 5.1 million likes. Instagram does not publish an official comment ranking, so newer comments could have passed it without a reliable, dated source showing it.
Are the like counts on these posts real?
The counts come from the public numbers on each post, collected and rounded on Wikipedia's list. Instagram removes likes it links to fake activity, so record counts can rise and dip over time. That is why each number in this article carries the date it was checked: November 5, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of most-liked Instagram posts (checked November 5, 2026)
- Dexerto: Cristiano Ronaldo overtakes GTA 6 comment to smash internet world record (June 7, 2024)
- Bleacher Report: Cristiano Ronaldo's comment on Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid photo sets IG record (June 5, 2024)
- Instagram Help Center: Why am I seeing changes to my likes, follows or comments?