Haaland Wins Global Athlete Award at Inaugural Honours
Meta and SportsPro named the first winners of the new Athlete Honours, which recognise athletes leading on social media across ten categories.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Soccer
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Meta x SportsPro Athlete Honours announced its inaugural winners on November 3, 2026, selected by a panel from SportsPro's editorial staff and Meta's Sports Partnerships team. Erling Haaland claimed the Global Athlete Award ahead of Eileen Gu, while Ilona Maher won Best Use of Instagram and Lewis Hamilton was named Content of the Year.
Why it matters
The Honours judged athlete content on creativity and craft rather than audience size and engagement metrics, signalling a shift in how athletes' digital work is valued. The awards give recognition to athletes whose social media presence has grown alongside their on-field profiles.
Erling Haaland gained more than 36 million Instagram followers after going viral during the 2026 Fifa World Cup. The honourees span 11 sports, nine countries and five continents, with four of six Milano Cortina 2026 competitors winning gold.
The players
Erling Haaland
Norwegian striker who claimed the Global Athlete Award after a viral surge in social media following during the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Meta
Technology company that owns Instagram and co-presents the Athlete Honours with SportsPro through its Sports Partnerships team.
SportsPro
London-based sports business publication that co-presents the Athlete Honours and contributed judges from its editorial staff.
The details
Winners were chosen by a panel from SportsPro's editorial staff and Meta's Sports Partnerships team, based on creativity and craft. Lewis Hamilton's recognition followed film and digital work, shot by photographer Sulay Kelly, that unveiled his Ferrari F40, and Maher's Instagram grid mixes behind-the-scenes life with lip-syncing and self-deprecating skits.
Timeline
- 2026 Fifa World Cup, held in the US, Canada and Mexico, where Haaland went viral during the summer tournament.
- Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, where six honourees competed and four claimed gold.
- November 3, 2026: inaugural winners announced from London.
The Tech Race
The Honours formalise Instagram as the platform where athlete creativity is recognised rather than follower count alone. The award structure reflects a broader shift in sports media toward judging athletes' own digital storytelling.
Fans following Haaland and Maher can track how their content is recognised across categories. The awards signal which athletes' social channels are being judged as serious creative work.
The takeaway
Athlete social media is increasingly judged on craft and storytelling, not just reach. Athletes who build distinctive creative voices may find that recognition matters as much as follower totals.
Further reading
For more on the athletes shaping the modern game, explore Soccer coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SportsPro.
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