Ivana Knoll, the Croatian social media star already being dubbed the “sexiest fan at the World Cup,” made her first appearance of the 2026 tournament at AT&T Stadium on Wednesday, to a rapt audience, at Croatia’s 4-2 defeat of England in their opening fixture.
Knoll, 33, wore her usual World Cup attire of a red-and-white checked top and took to her Instagram page to post a string of snaps and clips from the fixture to her millions of followers.
The presence comes as a comeback of sorts, as Knoll first exploded into internet stardom at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where she repeatedly pushed the limits of their modest dress codes to draw much public attention and a larger fan base than when she arrived.
Knoll has continued to dabble in other sports, such as Formula One, and has even gone by the moniker of “the World Cup girl.”
Before Wednesday’s showing at AT&T Stadium, Knoll fulfilled a personal dream by headlining the FIFA Fan Festival in Los Angeles, where she DJed for fans.
England beat Croatia with four goals on Wednesday, marking a losing start to the tournament for the Croatians.
