The highest liked Instagram post ever is a picture of an egg against a plain background, posted in 2018, with 55.5 million likes.
While celebrities, marketing, and influencers are in the focus on Instagram, nature photographs and videos are marking an aspiring rise.
With over one billion monthly active users globally, let’s glance through the most liked Instagram posts of 2021.
Top 10 Global Most Liked Instagram Posts 2021
1. Football star Cristiano Ronaldo’s Twin Babies on the Way
In October 2021, the Real Madrid football star posted on his personal Instagram account that he and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez were expecting a baby. The astonishing 33.2 million likes make it the most liked post on Instagram in 2021 – the second highest-ranked in Instagram history.
2. Ariana Grande’s Intimate Montecito Wedding
The young celebrity wedded her partner Dalton Gomez far away from the paparazzi, in the circle of closest family and friends at her dreamland Montecito home. The unexpected wedding photo of Dalton and Ariana in a white dress brought tears and sighs worth 26.6 million likes.
3. Kylie Jenner’s Pregnancy Announcement
Another celebrity-style news of Kylie and La Flame’s second baby came in a collage video. The social video shows Stormi hugging Kylie’s bump and grandma Kris’ excitement brought greetings from around the globe and 24.5 million likes along with more than 150 million views – making it the most viewed post on Instagram in 2021.
4. New Hairstyle of Billie Eilish
The girl who shocks the world and never disappoints her audience changes hairstyles and moods so often that she’s constantly in the centre of media attention. With nothing to celebrate and no baby on the way – her wolf cut and a simple “pinch me” caption earned her an incredible 23 million likes.
5. Lionel Messi’s Transfer to Paris Saint Germain FC
The announcement that the Argentinian soccer legend has signed with PSG has rolled more than 22.1 million likes, making it the most liked sports post on Instagram in 2021.
6. VOGUE’s Shot of Stylish Billie Eilish
From a timid teenager to a classy babe in a custom, Burberry trench coat and a skin-coloured corset to match – Billie’s seductive looks got her listed among the most-liked Instagram posts of 2021 for the second time. With roughly 22 million likes, it’s safe to state the audience loves Billie for who she is despite her looks, and honestly, there’s no style she can’t pull off.
7. Lionel Messi’s Photo With the Copa America Trophy
Messi has had high publicity in 2021 with plenty of career rollovers. The image where he’s holding the legendary trophy from the late 2020 edition of the Copa America earned him another rank on the list of most-liked Instagram posts of 2021. It’s just a few hundred likes short of his personally highest-ranked post when he signed with PSG.
8. Lionel Messi’s Announcement He’s Out of Barcelona
It hit like a thunderstorm and left many of Barcelona’s (and Messi’s) fans truly devastated. It was literally the most reported news in football that year. With a little over 21 million likes and a 3rd appearance on the most-liked Instagram posts of the year – this makes Messi the absolute owner of the highest liked Instagram post list.
9. A Real-Life Mermaid Surprise
This is the only post on the list without celebrities or special events. The BlueZoo Aquarium broke a record with their 20.2 million-view Instagram post from August 2021, when a “real-life mermaid” surprised a little girl who was posing for a photo and warmed the viewers’ hearts. This post brought many more visitors to BlueZoo and a lot of publicity for @ironshoremermaid on social networks.
10. Tom Holland’s Public Tribute for Zendaya’s Birthday
The newest Spiderman has a real-time crush on MJ, a beautiful young actress and his partner in the movie, Zendaya. The movie screen couple and their love story that translated to real life touched Instagramers around the world, granting Tom Holland’s post 19.6 million views and buying him the last ticket on the list of the most liked Instagram posts in 2021.
Influencers and celebrities own the social media world, considering only one of these most liked Instagram posts features non-celebrities. In a turn of events, the video propelled the mermaid into becoming an Instagram influencer, showing the immense marketing opportunities Instagram offers.
