Long after the final whistle of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one question continued to dominate conversations among Kenyan football fans: Who is the greatest footballer of all time?
According to Google Search data, searches for "Who is the GOAT of football?" surged by 200 per cent in Kenya during the tournament, underlining how the Lionel Messi versus Cristiano Ronaldo debate remains football's biggest off-pitch rivalry.
Despite Messi guiding Argentina through another memorable World Cup campaign, Kenyans searched for him only 10 per cent more than Ronaldo, suggesting the rivalry remains remarkably close in the minds of local fans.
The figures offer a fascinating glimpse into how Kenyans experienced the World Cup. While dramatic matches and unforgettable goals captured headlines, supporters were equally curious about football's biggest personalities, the technology behind the game, fan traditions and where to watch the action with fellow supporters.
The month-long tournament generated unprecedented online activity around the world, with one moment standing above the rest. Argentina's dramatic winning goal against Egypt set a new global Google Search record for queries per second, illustrating the extraordinary worldwide attention commanded by football's biggest stage.
In Kenya, however, fans followed far more than Argentina's journey.
Google Search trends between June 11 and July 13 show that the tournament's most searched match was France's 2-0 victory over Morocco, a semi-final that ended Africa's hopes of producing its first World Cup finalist.
Goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé sealed France's place in the final, but the fixture attracted enormous interest from Kenyan supporters who had closely followed Morocco's impressive campaign.
Lionel Messi of Argentina greets spectators at Dallas Stadium in Dallas, the United States, June 22, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
Norway's stunning 2-1 victory over Brazil ranked among the country's most searched fixtures after Erling Haaland scored twice to eliminate the five-time world champions in one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Brazil's dramatic comeback victory over Japan also generated significant interest after Kaishu Sano's opener was overturned by goals from Casemiro and Gabriel Martinelli.
England's comeback win over Norway, inspired by Jude Bellingham's brace after Andreas Schjelderup had put the Scandinavians ahead, also featured prominently in Kenyan searches, while Spain's narrow 1-0 victory over Portugal through substitute Mikel Merino completed the list of the country's five most searched World Cup matches.
The data also revealed that Kenyans wanted to experience the World Cup together rather than simply watch it alone.
During the final two weeks of the tournament, searches for public World Cup viewing venues increased by an astonishing 700 per cent as supporters looked for fan parks, restaurants, sports bars and other venues where they could share the excitement of football's biggest competition with fellow fans.
Football traditions attracted almost as much curiosity as the matches themselves.
Searches for "La Ola”, the famous Mexican wave that regularly sweeps around stadiums during major sporting events, were 130 per cent higher than during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The increase reflected a growing desire among fans to learn more about one of football's most iconic celebrations as packed stadiums across North America repeatedly erupted into coordinated waves of support.
The tournament also offered insight into which African footballers captured the imagination of Kenyan supporters.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah emerged as the continent's most searched player in Kenya despite his team's elimination in the knockout rounds. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha ranked second after helping his country enjoy a memorable World Cup campaign, while South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams also generated strong interest through a series of impressive performances.
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari completed the top five, reflecting the admiration Kenyan fans continued to show for the Atlas Lions following another successful World Cup run.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during their Group K match against DR Congo, June 17, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)
Beyond Africa, football's global superstars continued to dominate online conversations.
Alongside Messi and Ronaldo, players such as Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Ferran Torres ranked among Kenya's most searched footballers, demonstrating how the tournament brought together admiration for established legends and excitement surrounding football's next generation of stars.
Curiosity extended well beyond players and matches.
One of the tournament's more surprising trends involved the official FIFA World Cup match ball. During the opening week alone, searches relating to the ball increased by 290 per cent, while overall interest was 10 per cent higher than during the 2022 World Cup.
Rather than simply searching for its name, Kenyan fans wanted to understand the technology behind it. Popular questions included what type of air is inside the World Cup ball, how it is manufactured, whether it is rechargeable, how it is charged and how much the official match ball costs. The searches reflected growing interest in the innovation that continues to shape modern football.
Taken together, the search trends reveal that the 2026 FIFA World Cup was about far more than goals, trophies and final scores for Kenyan supporters.
It became a cultural experience that sparked debates, inspired curiosity and encouraged fans to explore every aspect of the global game. They searched for iconic matches, football traditions, emerging stars, technological innovations and shared viewing experiences, all while continuing to argue over the question that has defined football for more than a decade.
Even after another memorable World Cup campaign from Messi, one thing became abundantly clear: in Kenya, the GOAT debate is still far from over. And if Google Search trends are anything to go by, it may never truly end.
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