Jude Bellingham has been dubbed England’s heartthrob, undoubtedly gaining more fans and followers after securing England’s Euro 2019 destiny by scoring a 95th-minute overhead kick against Slovakia last night.
But the 21-year-old could face competition from a Real Madrid team-mate as it is an even younger footballing prodigy who appears to have won the hearts of millions on social media.
Arda Guler, 19 years old, made his debut as the new Euro favourite after gaining more than a million followers on Instagram since appearing on screens.
The young Turkish star has more than just scored goals after amassing more than a million followers since the start of the tournament, bringing his social media fan base to a total of 10.3 million.
With over 1 million followers, Arda has seen the largest increase in followers of any player between June 13 and June 27.
Arda gave Turkey a flawless start to the football tournament after scoring a goal that had the crowd roaring in their match against Georgia; he has since been dubbed the “Turkish Messi” after wowing fans.
Arda Guler, 19, pictured posing for a photo while on holiday, has received the largest influx of followers on Instagram since the tournament began earlier this month.
Arda shared several images from his Euro match last week. The youngster has become popular thanks to his good looks and infectious smile.
His impressive efforts on the pitch may have won hearts and followers as the young footballer’s comments are filled with words of admiration from fans.
Arda’s comments section on her now massive Instagram profile is full of proud Turks writing to tell her how proud they are.
Another fan wrote: “We are so proud of you my dear brother, God bless you,” while a third chimed in to wish the young player well, writing “He’s going to be a great player.”
The young footballer has wowed fans with his athletic build, tanned skin and close-cropped dark blonde hair, with many left in awe of the teenager’s infectious smile.
Although some may be disappointed, the young man is believed to have a girlfriend, Duru Nayman, a basketball player from Arda’s native Turkey.
His fellow athlete is believed to be around 18 years old and is a member of the Galatasaray women’s basketball team.
Fans suspected that the romance might have blossomed after Duru He was photographed sitting next to Arda’s parents while being presented by Real Madrid.
With his stunning display against Georgia, the ‘Turkish Messi’ has become only the third teenager to score on his first appearance at a European Championship (after Ferenc Bene for Hungary against Spain in 1964 and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal against Greece in 2004) with a brilliant strike from 20 yards.
To add to his already impressive list of firsts, Arda is also the youngest player to score on his debut at the European Championship.
The team has had ups and downs so far, after a humiliating defeat against Portugal and then finishing with a timid victory against the Czech Republic, which has allowed them to advance as second place in Group F.
Before their victory over the Czechs, Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella put the dashing Arda Guler on the field in place of Kerem Akturkoglu and Irfan Kahveci, who was suspended for one match.
Turkey will face Austria in their next match on July 2 after winning against Georgia in the Group D stage of the tournament.
Arda shared a photo from a night out on her Instagram. She posed in an all-black outfit, serious yet attractive.
Pictured: Duru Nayman, 18, Arda’s girlfriend. Fans suspected the romance may have sparked after Duru was pictured sitting next to Arda’s parents as they introduced him to Real Madrid
Arda’s comments section on his now massive Instagram profile is filled with proud Turks telling him how proud they are of him.
Pictured: The young footballer posing for a photo on the beach. He has captivated fans with his athletic build, tanned skin and close-cropped dark blonde hair
The 19-year-old was pictured during Turkey’s match against the Czech Republic on June 26, which they narrowly won.
Arda has since been dubbed the “Turkish Messi” after wowing fans with his performance against Georgia.
Arda is one of only three teenagers to have scored a goal in their first appearance at the European Championships.
Arda currently plays for Real Madrid but has been tipped to join Liverpool after the team made contact with Real Madrid regarding the playmaker’s services, according to Spanish outlet Marca.
Although the Reds are interested, it has been suggested that Real Madrid are not interested in selling Guler, who was signed last summer and has five years left on his contract.
Second on the list of players who have received the most followers since the Euros began earlier this month is Portuguese player Ronaldo, who is a veteran heartthrob and has previously been named one of the most sexist sportsmen.
The 39-year-old has gained 996,661 followers on Instagram since the start of the tournament, just shy of Arda’s impressive tally.
At the end of last year, Ronaldo was named the fifth sexist athlete by Illicitencounters.com, while Lionel Messi, Arda Guler’s predecessor, was ranked ninth.
Unsurprisingly, third place for the most followers on Instagram went to England player Jude Bellingham, who replaced Jack Grealish as the team’s heartthrob.
Dubbed “England’s sexiest footballer”, the 20-year-old dethroned compatriot Jack Grealish as the Three Lions’ heartthrob after the Manchester City midfielder was omitted from Gareth Southgate’s squad.
Jude appeared in a campaign for Kim Kardashian’s clothing and shapewear brand, opening herself up to a new legion of fans.
In a video shared to SKIMS’ Instagram account, Jude leaves virtually nothing to the imagination and can be seen sporting a pair of dark grey boxer briefs beneath some toned abs.
Jude has seen his fame grow ever more since signing for Real Madrid a year ago.
His move to the Spanish giants caps an incredible rise, which began when he became Birmingham City’s youngest ever player at just 16.
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