20 Most Liked Instagram Posts 2025 and How They Went Viral

Instagram has become the place where unforgettable moments are shared first. From personal milestones to global sports highlights, some posts gather millions of likes within hours. In this guide, we’ll break down the most liked Instagram posts and show how you can use their secrets to improve your own Instagram engagement strategies.

What Makes an Instagram Post Go Viral

Every viral Instagram post has something special that sparks massive sharing and interaction. Below are the key factors and how they help posts reach record-breaking numbers.

Key Elements of Viral Posts

• Powerful visuals – Clear, bold photos or videos that instantly grab attention.
  
  
• Strong emotional hook – Content that makes people feel joy, surprise, or nostalgia.
  
  
• Simple, memorable message – Captions and images that communicate quickly.
  
  
• Smart use of Instagram features – Posts that include Reels, carousels, or well-placed hashtags.
  
  

These elements create Instagram viral content strategies that appeal to both the algorithm and real people.

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How Timing, Trends & Moments Matter

Timing is everything on social media. Posts tied to big cultural events, surprise announcements, or sudden global trends naturally get more shares. 

For creators who want to ride a trend safely, starting or joining creative challenges—like those in these ideas for Instagram challenges—can give posts a boost without forcing it.

When a post lands at the right moment, likes can snowball, increasing reach and strengthening social proof on Instagram.

Most Liked Instagram Posts in 2025 (So Far)

Below are the top Instagram posts that continue to dominate likes, each with a short background on why they went viral.

Lionel Messi – World Cup Win 2022

Messi’s photo lifting the World Cup trophy captured pure global excitement. Shared by fans and media worldwide, it remains one of the famous Instagram posts that define sports history. The perfect mix of timing, emotion, and worldwide interest sent likes soaring.

Cristiano Ronaldo & Messi – Louis Vuitton Ad

This creative ad featuring the two football icons playing chess on a Louis Vuitton case blended celebrity power with brand storytelling. The post showed how influencer marketing Instagram campaigns can feel natural and still go viral.

Lionel Messi – Argentina Celebration Carousel

A multi-photo Instagram carousel of Argentina’s victory celebrations gave fans multiple reasons to engage, proving how well-curated carousels can boost Instagram post engagement.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Farewell to Football

Ronaldo’s heartfelt goodbye drew millions of likes from fans around the world, showing that emotional honesty still drives Instagram engagement.

Egg Photo by world_record_egg

A simple egg broke records by outshining celebrities in likes. This quirky example proves that unexpected humor and curiosity can create viral Instagram posts even without a famous name.

Ariana Grande – Wedding Photos

Ariana’s elegant wedding pictures appealed to fans and style lovers alike. The natural yet stylish images are perfect examples of instagram content creation tips.

​​Billie Eilish – Blonde Hair Reveal

When Billie Eilish shared her sudden change from green roots to platinum blonde, the surprise alone made the post skyrocket. Fans had speculated about a new album, and the bold color shift matched the fresh music style she was about to release. The clean portrait, dramatic change, and timing with upcoming projects all combined to create one of the most talked-about viral Instagram posts, cementing her influence as a true pop culture icon.

Zendaya – Red Carpet Look Post

Zendaya’s red carpet photos never fail to turn heads. One standout post featured a sleek gown that fashion magazines quickly picked up. 

The striking visuals and simple caption proved how instagram content creation tips like strong images and minimal words can drive massive likes.

For those ready to scale faster, services like buy Instagram followers can add an extra push while you keep building authentic engagement.

Tom Holland – Birthday Post for Zendaya

A heartfelt birthday message from Tom Holland to Zendaya blended celebrity romance with personal warmth. Fans of both stars shared and commented widely, showing how genuine emotions can lead to huge instagram post engagement.

BTS – Butter Comeback Photo

BTS always draws global attention, and their Butter comeback teaser photo was no exception. The combination of vibrant color, perfect composition, and worldwide fan excitement helped it break into the top Instagram posts 2025.

Kylie Jenner – Baby Announcement (Stormi)

Kylie’s first baby announcement remains legendary. A simple yet beautiful photo of tiny Stormi holding her mom’s thumb became one of the most famous Instagram posts of all time. The private pregnancy followed by this reveal kept anticipation high, making it a defining moment in celebrity baby announcements.

Kylie Jenner – Second Pregnancy Post

Kylie repeated her magic with a second pregnancy post, using a family-centered video and carefully chosen visuals. The personal yet stylish storytelling showed how instagram viral content strategies can be repeated successfully.

Selena Gomez – Rare Beauty Launch

Selena introduced her Rare Beauty brand with a polished but natural photo. The mix of beauty industry buzz and her personal message of self-acceptance connected with millions, highlighting smart influencer marketing Instagram techniques.

Kim Kardashian – Family Vacation Photo

Kim’s family vacation post featuring clear ocean views and relaxed poses appealed to lifestyle fans worldwide. It demonstrated how aspirational travel shots can become most liked Instagram posts when combined with a global name.

Ronaldo – Goodbye Manchester United

Ronaldo’s farewell message to his club carried powerful emotions for sports fans. This honest moment brought together football followers across countries, creating a surge in Instagram likes tips and engagement.

Messi – PSG Debut Announcement

Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain shocked the sports world. His debut announcement photo became a historic instagram viral content strategy, uniting fans of different teams in one shared conversation.

Blackpink – Coachella 2023 Teaser

Blackpink’s teaser for their Coachella set was simple but electric. Fans shared it globally, proving how teasing major live events can drive increase Instagram likes organically.

David Beckham – Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Beckham’s respectful tribute following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II struck a universal emotional chord. The thoughtful caption and elegant image showed how real-world events can inspire viral Instagram posts that remain tasteful, reflecting the deep global mourning during the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Zendaya – Emmy Win Celebration

Zendaya’s Emmy celebration post blended gratitude with stunning photos. Supporters and industry peers joined in, demonstrating how milestones and awards naturally generate instagram engagement strategies.

Taylor Swift – Midnights Album Reveal

Taylor’s artistic album reveal for Midnights was another perfect storm of timing and design. The rich visuals and mystery around the release inspired fans to share widely, adding to the year’s top Instagram posts 2025.

Why These Posts Went Viral

The most liked Instagram posts of 2025 all have one thing in common: they connect with people on an emotional and visual level. Whether it’s a world-record egg or a music comeback, these viral Instagram posts show how creativity, timing, and storytelling drive strong Instagram engagement strategies.

Viral Captions and Smart Hashtags

Great captions help people pause and interact. Short stories, personal feelings, or even simple humor encourage comments and saves. Pairing them with smart hashtags makes posts discoverable to a bigger audience. Mixing trending tags with niche ones is one of the best instagram hashtag strategies to grow visibility.

Clean formatting also matters. Guides on Instagram caption spacing show how easy-to-read layouts help followers stay focused on the message and tap the like button.

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Eye-Catching Visuals and Stories

Visuals remain key to instagram content creation tips. Bold colors, creative angles, and high-quality images make people stop scrolling. You can get fresh ideas from Instagram story ideas to help spark creativity and combine them with Reels or carousels for even stronger results. Posts like Billie Eilish’s hair reveal or Messi’s championship photos used striking images to spark instant excitement.

Team-Ups and Famous Friend Tags

Many top Instagram posts feature collaborations. From Messi and Ronaldo’s Louis Vuitton ad to Tom Holland’s birthday wish to Zendaya, tagging well-known friends or brands can double exposure. Even small creators can team up with peers in their niche to create shareable moments that naturally increase Instagram likes.

Easy Ways to Get More Likes Yourself

After all this talk of the most-liked pictures on Instagram, maybe you’re starting to dream of having the most-liked Instagram post for yourself.

But, how do you get to that point? Here are a few tips we have for getting more Instagram likes – maybe they can help you reach that most-liked post status.

You don’t need to be a celebrity to create most liked Instagram posts. With the right approach, you can build consistent and lasting engagement.

Be Real and Honest With Your Audience

Authenticity always works. Sharing real stories and behind-the-scenes moments builds trust and leads to more comments and likes. If privacy is a concern, check ways to combat instastalkers to stay safe while being open with your audience.

Use Instagram Tools Like Reels & Stories

Instagram rewards active accounts. Use Reels for quick videos and Stories for everyday updates. For live interaction, try the features explained in Instagram live stories and disappearing photos. These tools keep your content fresh and help you increase Instagram likes organically.

Stick to a Simple Posting Plan

Consistency tells the algorithm that your page is active. Create a weekly plan so followers know when to expect new posts. If you want steady and safe growth, explore organic growth to bring real followers who care about your content.

Post Consistently

Now, you know the most-liked Instagram posts of all time!

If you’re looking to grow your account and get more likes on Instagram, it’s important to be publishing content consistently. Your followers will be more inclined to interact with your posts if you are publishing them regularly and providing a dependable posting schedule. However, a lot of purchase likes on Instagram with the bot sites.

To ensure a consistent stream of posts, it’s very helpful to schedule your posts ahead of time. There is a wide variety available of scheduling apps and websites, so it’s pretty easy to make sure your posts are published regularly.

When using a scheduling app, it’s a good idea to work ahead and schedule posts in batches – perhaps a month at a time. This is helpful because it will give you more free time while also ensuring that your content is dependable.

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Maintain A Consistent Theme

Having a theme is very important in running an Instagram that users will want to follow and interact with. The more organized your theme is, the tighter your account’s aesthetic will be. And the more aesthetically pleasing your account is, the more people will be drawn to it and want to interact with it.

Additionally, having a consistent theme will clue your followers in to what you will be posting and when, so they will know what to look for – they will be expecting your posts, which means that users will be inclined to view your posts and leave you a like.

Create Content That Stands Out

If you want to attract likes with your content, you need to be posting content that is unique and original – something that will stand out to users, pique their curiosity, and draw them to your page. In order to create eye-catching content, try using tools such as Photoshop, Canva or Lightroom. These editing tools, among others, will allow you to enhance your photos and design your posts in such a way that will draw attention to your page.

You should also provide variety in the content you post. A good way to do this is by posting gifs and video content. Photos are definitely the most popular medium for posting on Instagram, and it’s great to mainly post pictures.

However, spicing up your feed a bit every now and then with a video or moving graphic will make your account look more dynamic and attractive to users. Users will also be inclined to drop a like when they see a video pop up in their feed every now and then, among the sea of photos.

Create Content That Engages

Think back to our list of the most liked Instagram posts for a second. What was the number one most-like photo on Instagram, of all time? It was a picture of an egg!

It’s not because it was a beautiful or well-edited photo; it’s because people thought it was funny, and they wanted to be a part of something. It engaged a huge audience, and people wanted to be a part of the most-liked picture on Instagram.

This may seem funny at first, but it’s actually an important lesson to keep in the back of your mind when you are creating content. Users want to support content from real people, not just celebrities.

They want to connect with the content they see online, and there is nothing to say that you can’t create the content they connect with. So, publish something that your followers and other users can be a part of. Bring them in and make them a part of your community – get your name out there!

It’s Your Turn

So, there you have it. We talked about the 20 most-liked Instagram posts, and we clued you in on how you can join that list.

There’s nothing stopping you! Try out the tips we listed above, and maybe soon you’ll be the proud owner of the account with the most-liked picture on Instagram.

When you become famous for your popular Insta content, we want to know all about it – so feel free to come back here to the comments and let us know if our tips helped or if you have any questions for us!