Kane tops England influencer rankings after Mexico win

Harry Kane topped Kolsquare’s England influencer rankings after generating £25.8 million in Earned Media Value during the tournament. The data showed a sharp rise in his social media value after England’s win over Mexico.

On 6 July alone, Kane generated £4.69 million in Earned Media Value, according to Kolsquare’s analysis of Instagram activity. That was almost double the figure recorded by his nearest England team-mates as supporters reacted online to the team’s progress.

His post-match victory reel drew 6.1 million plays, helping lift his overall tally to 28.25 million views and 3.34 million engagements across the reporting period from 25 May to 6 July. During that time, 317 influencers posted about Kane, placing him just behind Jude Bellingham, who was mentioned by 323.

Bukayo Saka was mentioned by 133 influencers, while Anthony Gordon was referenced by 22. Despite that gap, Gordon still ranked among the stronger performers in commercial value terms, highlighting the difference between mention volume and engagement value.

Squad lift

The uplift extended beyond the England captain. England’s victory over Mexico was followed by a broad rise in Earned Media Value across the squad, with Declan Rice generating £2.54 million on 6 July, Jordan Pickford £2.51 million, Anthony Gordon £2.46 million, Bukayo Saka £2.43 million and Jude Bellingham £2.35 million.

The figures suggest supporters were responding not only to the main match story but also to celebration clips and tournament content shared by other players. The pattern points to a wider social media effect around major international football results, where audience attention can quickly spread across a team rather than remain fixed on a single star.

Several players below Kane in the rankings stood out for efficiency rather than volume. Rice generated £2.2 million in total Earned Media Value from just five pieces of content, suggesting that a small number of highly engaging posts can carry significant value.

Pickford also reached £2.2 million in Earned Media Value despite having one of the smaller followings in the England squad. Gordon, meanwhile, generated £2.1 million despite posting relatively little during the tournament period.

Earned Media Value is used in influencer marketing to estimate the value of exposure and engagement created by social media content. Brands often use the metric to compare the marketing effect of posts by public figures and creators with more conventional advertising spend.

Kolsquare’s ranking placed Kane well ahead of the rest of the England squad by total value. Behind him, Rice and Pickford each recorded £2.2 million, while Gordon followed on £2.1 million.

Commercial effect

The data offers another example of how sporting performance and online attention can reinforce each other during major tournaments. Kane’s standing as captain and the leading figure in England’s attack appears to have translated into a far larger commercial footprint on Instagram than any of his team-mates over the period measured.

At the same time, the spread of value among players such as Rice, Pickford and Gordon suggests there is no simple link between follower size, posting frequency and social media return. Match moments, audience mood and the type of content shared can all influence the result.

Quentin Bordage said Harry Kane’s performance against Mexico showed how quickly sporting success can translate into commercial value.

“Harry Kane’s performances have demonstrated just how quickly sporting success can translate into commercial value. His Mexico performance created an immediate surge in social media attention, generating almost £4.7 million in Earned Media Value in a single day,” he said.

Bordage added that England’s victory also boosted the social media value of other players, showing that “major sporting moments don’t just create heroes, they create opportunities for brands to engage with highly invested audiences.”

He said the findings demonstrate that timing, authenticity and cultural relevance can have a greater impact than follower numbers alone during major sporting events.