Google search had its most popular day ever during the World Cup final

Saqib Shah
·2-min read
Argentina’s Lionel Messi with the golden ball trophy after his side won this year’s World Cup (Reuters)
Argentina’s Lionel Messi with the golden ball trophy after his side won this year’s World Cup (Reuters)

The nail-biting end to the World Cup wasn’t just a milestone for winner Argentina, it was also a momentous day for Google. The tech giant drew its highest-ever search traffic in 25 years last night on December 18, according to CEO Sundar Pichai.

“It was like the entire world was searching about one thing,” Pichai tweeted in reference to the World Cup.

Google capitalised on this year’s tournament by launching a mini-game people could play on their mobile and a Google doodle featuring two animated football boots. But it was real-time match results that fans went to its search engine for, including during the six-goal thriller that brought the World Cup to a close at Qatar’s Lusail Stadium.

In the final, France fell two goals behind to Argentina, before their star player Kylian Mbappé scored twice in quick succession to take the game to extra time. Both sides then scored from penalties with Mbappé grabbing a hat trick. Argentina ultimately triumphed 4-2 on penalties to lift the World Cup for the third time in their history, their first under the stewardship of Lionel Messi. Mbappé may have received some solace by winning the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer.

Lionel Messi lifts the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar - In Pictures

Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the team’s victory during the FIFA World Cup (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the team’s victory during the FIFA World Cup (Getty Images)
Argentina's captain and forward #10 Lionel Messi (R) holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy following the trophy ceremony after Argentina won the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail (AFP via Getty Images)
Argentina's captain and forward #10 Lionel Messi (R) holds the FIFA World Cup Trophy following the trophy ceremony after Argentina won the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail (AFP via Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the team’s victory during the FIFA World Cup (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates with teammates and the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the team’s victory during the FIFA World Cup (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina lifts the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium (Getty Images)
Argentina's Lionel Messi takes pictures of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo as she holds the winners trophy after Argentina won the World Cup final soccer match against France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, (AP)
Argentina's Lionel Messi takes pictures of his wife Antonela Roccuzzo as she holds the winners trophy after Argentina won the World Cup final soccer match against France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, (AP)
Argentina's Lionel Messi sits with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo after the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP)
Argentina's Lionel Messi sits with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo after the World Cup final soccer match between Argentina and France at the Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022. (AP)
(AFP via Getty Images)
(AFP via Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy as Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi of Argentina kisses the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy as Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar (Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)
Lionel Messi led the celebrations after Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar (Getty Images)
Lionel Messi led the celebrations after Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar (Getty Images)
Messi has now won two major international trophies in two years following the 2021 Copa America win (Getty Images)
Messi has now won two major international trophies in two years following the 2021 Copa America win (Getty Images)

Google.com is already the world’s most visited website but it clearly received a boost from football’s main event as fans kept coming back to keep up with the prolific goal count. To celebrate Argentina’s victory, Google even introduced a home page that showed fireworks and the country’s flag on screen for search terms such as “Argentina vs France” and “World Cup”.

The landmark came just days after Google revealed what the world searched for this year. Naturally, the World Cup was on the list of top search terms in the UK but in second place behind Wordle (the popular word game) and ahead of Queen Elizabeth in third.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard topped the most-searched people list: Depp came first and Heard came in third (just before Putin and after Will Smith).

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