We love to showcase our life on Instagram, and every double-tap feels like applause that boosts our morale. Since there are millions of users hosting photos every day, only a few surpass the mark and reach millions of likes.
These viral posts create a new trend and give a new outlet for people to obsess over. If you are a chronic IG user like me, who knows every new hashtag, trend, and trending audio, you will love to check out these most liked Instagram post. Take photography notes, look at the number of comments, or get inspired; the world of IG is here for you!
Quick Answer
As of 2025, the most liked post on Instagram is the Lionel Messi Winning FIFA picture, which was posted on December 19, 2022, acquiring a huge likes collection of 74.7 million.
From football champions, viral movie edits, to internet memes, you never know what captures attention and evokes great feelings. These are the 20 most liked Instagram posts that made history.
| Likes Count: 74.7 million |
| Date Posted: December 19, 2022 |
The photo dump of Messi lifting the World Cup after Argentina won in 2022 was a moment to watch for the entire world. It brought all the football fans together to celebrate and appreciate by liking and commenting on the carousel post.
| Likes Count: 60.6 million |
| Date Posted: January 4, 2019 |
@world_egg_record was started as a social experiment to achieve the most liked posts Instagram back in 2019. Their first-ever post surpassed Kylie’s then most-liked post and soon made a record with 60.6 million likes. Who knew an egg could make everyone crazy!
| Likes Count: 53.7 million |
| Date Posted: December 20, 2022 |
Messi posted a photo of himself sleeping with the World Cup trophy in his bed, and it resonated with the global audience. People started showering their love in the form of likes and shares, making it one of the most liked IG posts ever.
| Likes Count: 50.7 million |
| Date Posted: April 11, 2025 |
Kishore Mondal and his family make raw singing covers that have been capturing millions of hearts. This is real proof that one doesn’t need to add fancy lighting and background; all you need is a passion, and it will reach the right audience.
| Likes Count: 40.1 million |
| Date Posted: May 11, 2025 |
Insta 360, for the launch of their new camera model, shot the cutest video of a toddler walking, crying, and laughing. It warmed everyone, making it one of the Instagram most liked posts, and the campaign was a success for its fresh thinking.
| Likes Count: 41.6 million |
| Date Posted: November 19, 2022 |
Messi and Ronaldo did a campaign for Louis Vuitton suitcases, and they were photographed playing chess as a part of the advertisement. The internet went into frenzy after watching two football legends in a single frame.
| Likes Count: 41.2 million |
| Date Posted: December 19, 2022 |
The world loves to see Messi with the World Cup trophy, as every time he poses with it, you know it’s viral. This aeroplane photo got fans commenting, “Greatest of All Time” with lots and lots of heart emojis, of course!!
| Likes Count: 37.1 million |
| Date Posted: September 8, 2024 |
Emilio is a talented piano player who sings amongst the crowd. When the three-year-old singer Angelica came to him to sing “My Heart Will Go On”, the crowd was star-struck, and it soon became a viral moment.
| Likes Count:37.1 million |
| Date Posted: August 26, 2025 |
Our English teacher and gym teacher have finally announced they are all set to tie the knot for life, and it is evident that all the Swifties and Travis’s fans are on cloud nine. Like everything else Taylor does, her engagement post also broke the records, charting amongst the most likes on an Instagram post list.
| Likes Count: 35.7 million |
| Date Posted: December 24, 2024 |
Ronaldo posted an unfiltered video of himself taking a cold water dip in the ice-frozen city of Lapland in Finland. This video gained over 500 views on Instagram and gave a boost to ice-batching trends.
| Likes Count: 34.2 million |
| Date Posted: May 19, 2018 |
Jahseh, the famous American rapper and singer-songwriter, posted a photo shoot picture captioned “Love is War”, which happened to be his last post before he died by murder and first-degree attack. This tragic incident brought people together to mourn for him and share condolences on his last post, which is still in the list of most liked photo on Instagram.
| Likes Count: 33.7 million |
| Date Posted: December 21, 2022 |
Messi truly knows how to win and celebrate. He posted candid pictures of himself with the trophy and teammates to share the spirit of the sport, and the shared dump became one of the most liked pics in Instagram’s history. He’s winning all the game, for sure!
| Likes Count: 33.4 million |
| Date Posted: December 31, 2022 |
When Ronaldo announced his joining of the football team Al-Nassr FC officially, it left people with mixed emotions. Portugal fans started stating how they will miss him, and the Al-Nassr fans were thrilled. These announcement pictures were as iconic as Ronaldo himself.
| Likes Count: 33.2 million |
| Date Posted: December 11, 2022 |
When Portugal lost the game in FIFA, the media wrote mixed pieces- if Ronaldo is still loyal to the team or not. To clarify the speculations and express his sadness over the loss, he posted a picture explaining how he felt about the team, how he fought, and how he wishes to fight back.
| Likes Count: 33.1 million |
| Date Posted: August 5, 2023 |
An IG account @jiangzhibin24, out of the blue, posted a gorgeous video of a sunset in 2023, and it was like heaven. The video was generated by AI, but it did a great job at bringing everyone together to appreciate nature.
| Likes Count: 31.7 million |
| Date Posted: October 28, 2021 |
Ronaldo posted a carousel of him and Georgina holding ultrasound reports and announced they were expecting twins. This sweet family post is filled with love, hearts, and support for the couple.
| Likes Count: 31.6 million |
| Date Posted: June 10, 2024 |
@aline_sarakbii is an Instagram account run by the parents of Aline, posting her baby pictures and videos. Not just this specific post, the whole account is adored by everyone.
| Likes Count: 31.4 million |
| Date Posted: December 29, 2022 |
Ronaldo penned down a heartfelt condolence after the death of football legend Pelé. He expressed how the entire football fraternity will miss him, and he has forever left a hole. This picture encouraged users to share the grief and made it one of the highest liked photo on Instagram.
| Likes Count: 30.7 million |
| Date Posted: February 27, 2024 |
This funny video captures the Horse and Panda parents’ reaction who embracing a human as their child because of the mask. And as they take the masks off, they get confused, and the reaction is worth watching. No matter how many times you watch, you will find this Instagram URL making you laugh out loud!
| Likes Count: 26.2million |
| Date Posted: June 1, 2022 |
When Zendaya wished Tom Holland a happy birthday by sharing a romantic caption and picture, we all got butterflies in our stomachs. The power couple never shies away from appreciating each other, and we love that.
As the social platform runs on an algorithm, all the most liked post in IG shows recurring patterns and have common traits for their success. After analyzing the details, here’s what we found out:
Humans have a weakness for emotions. When you share a heartbreak, a moment of pride, happiness, love, and your raw and unfiltered self, people love to pause and watch. The Instagram post most likes by Lionel Messi evokes powerful emotions of pride for his win, resonating with his millions of fans.
The celebrity status and fame generally help to get a post with the most likes on Instagram. Since the sports celebrity, entertainment star, and socialists already have a large follower base, their posts reach to more people than others, which then translates into likes, comments, and shares.
Another type of most liked IG post is unique and historic moments. Let’s say, you capture a shooting star, a big pop culture thing, or any sports event, these are like “once-in-a-lifetime” which will bring more eyes to the image.
When everyone is posting maximalist designs and chaos, and you share a simple and clean picture of your breakfast bowl, you go against the momentum. Such kind of “against the trend” posts are a breath of fresh air which grabs people’s attention.
When you post something that evokes the feeling of what the world is going through now, people will stop and see it. Any World Cup event, historic concert, or political event will gain more traction because users care and talk about them.
As you’re now aware of what kind of content people like, why wait? Click pictures and post on IG from mobile and desktop, and see the magic.
Instagram unites people, and the most liked picture on Instagram shows how a single picture or video can melt the hearts of a global audience. These viral moments show that emotions can transcend borders, culture, and lifestyles.
It’s so cool to see how the most liked posts on Instagram are a mix of unexpected photography, pop culture iconic events, and significant topics in the world. As we listed down the top 20 most liked Instagram posts in this blog, we hope it satisfied the social media nerd in you. Share the info with your friends and family to gossip over it!
Lionel Messi’s 2022 World Cup victory moment is among the most liked IG posts, amassing over 74 million likes and shares.
When Messi uploaded his picture of holding the FIFA Cup on December 19, 2022, it quickly garnered millions of likes and became the most-liked Instagram post most likes of all time.
Currently, Lionel Messi holds the record of most liked post; earlier, it was “World Record Egg”, which had 60 million likes.
Guinness World Records has verified as of 2024 that Lionel Messi holding the Argentina FIFA World Cup in Lusail stadium is the most liked pic on Instagram history.
Zendaya’s birthday wish post for Tom Holland, Ronaldo joining Al Nassr FC, and a photo of an egg by World Record Egg have the most likes on an Instagram picture.
