There’s been an uptick in dating app usage this summer—and experts think the World Cup has something to do with it.
According to a recent article on Mashable, “Compared to the same time last year, the dating app has seen increases in Swipes, Likes, and matches across World Cup host cities. The U.S. is seeing over a 15 percent increase in users, around a 25 percent increase in Swipe activity, and nearly a 60 percent increase in matches compared to June 2025.”
People are actually calling this dating phenomenon “Messi-ng”—you know, after soccer star Lionel Messi. It seems he’s inspiring singles to “shoot their shot” both on and off the field.
What Even Is ‘Messi-ng’?
Messi-ng describes the increase in dating app usage amid the World Cup. But why, exactly, are more people interested in apps like Tinder this summer? It might just be the influx of fans, warm sense of community, and undeniable excitement fueling hope and positivity—two must-haves when logging onto Tinder.
“To me, ‘Messi-ng’ isn’t really about Lionel Messi. It’s about what happens when people are immersed in an environment that’s full of novelty and excitement,” Courtney Boyer, resident clinical sex educator for pjur, told VICE. “During the World Cup, people are traveling, celebrating, and surrounded by others who are already sharing an emotional experience, and that combination naturally makes people more open to connection, whatever that connection looks like (talking to someone at a bar or matching with someone on a dating app).”
Believe it or not, though the two might seem unrelated, witnessing someone else’s success can inspire you to reach for the stars, too—both on and off the field.
“When teams like the underdog Cabo Verde make it as far as they did, it gives those looking for love a little bit of hope: ‘If they can do something unprecedented, maybe I can too!’” Boyer explains.
And let me tell you, finding success on dating apps does feel unprecedented most of the time. But there’s no harm in shooting your shot, as Messi has taught us.
Shooting Your Shot Like Messi
Obviously, the trend isn’t about Messi himself. He’s just one of the many handsome, talented players whose name happens to sound good as a dating trend. I mean, it describes the phenomenon quite well: more people are “messing around” on the dating apps, putting themselves out there to meet new matches.
“The World Cup isn’t making people fall in love with footballers (though have you seen Maduka Okoye??),” Boyer points out. “Rather, it’s creating the emotional conditions that make people more open to meeting each other.”
And, of course, I’d bet far more singles are interested in meeting international tourists than their usual dating app slim pickings—and vice versa. The World Cup has brought a more lighthearted energy to many cities, encouraging socialization and connection. What better time to start dating than now?
“Events like this give people permission to be more social, more spontaneous, and a little more optimistic about meeting someone new,” says Boyer. “Dating apps simply become an extension of that energy and excitement.”