Can the World Cup's viral stars turn social media fame into fortunes?

Can the World Cup's viral stars turn social media fame into fortunes?Image source, ReutersImage caption, Cape Verde's Vozinha celebrates with fansBySakshi VenkatramanPublished17 minutes agoIt took 90 minutes for Vozinha, Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper, to become a world-wide sensation with more Instagram followers than NFL legend Tom Brady.Vozinha's impressive performance against Spain in the World Cup group stage led to a 0-0 draw, a huge surprise against one of the tournament favourites. It led to Vozinha's 50,000 Instagram followers ballooning to 17.4 million, surpassing athletes such as Brady (15.5 million).World Cup stars, like Vozinha, can harness their new social media fame to generate lucrative financial opportunities. But media expert Mike Serazio said those prospects can be fleeting. "It's viral - it goes up very fast and it goes down equally fast," he said.Brooke Duffy, a digital and social media scholar at Cornell University, said influencers with millions of followers can demand payments that stretch beyond six-figures.A prominent social media presence can lead to brand partnerships and advertisers paying for individual posts. "Followers are a form of currency that matters now… more followers tends to translate into a higher income," she said. Social media offers a different path to stardomImage source, BOB FRID/EPA/ShutterstockImage caption, Tim Payne of New Zealand in action against BelgiumTim Payne, a defender on the New Zealand team, was dubbed the "least-known" World Cup player by one Argentine influencer ahead of the tournament. Valen Scarsini, known as 'elscarso' online, shared a video calling on his hundreds of thousands of followers to help boost Payne's profile. Payne leaned into this, posting more and engaging with the influencer. Over a few days, Payne's Instagram follower count grew from about 5,000 to nearly six million. He has a larger following, he point...