World Cup 2026 Goes Viral: Memes and Moments That Defined the Tournament

During the 2026 World Cup across the US, Canada, and Mexico, the internet demonstrated as much drama as the matches: FIFA’s TikTok alone drew over 24 billion views and fans produced more than 20 million World Cup–related videos. This piece catalogs the defining memes and clips—from Messi memes and Mbappe’s slow‑motion stare to Merlin the Duck and Anya Taylor‑Joy’s reaction—showing how social media shaped the tournament’s memory as vividly as the on‑field action.