Google released a list of personalities who were on the rise in Brazil in 2025, which featured influencers such as Failaka and Hetalo Santos, who share space with personalities from other regions.
Tennis player Joao Fonseca is at the top of the public’s attention, followed by President Donald Trump, one of the few foreigners in the rankings. Among the most famous names is also the Brazilian national team coach, Carlo Ancelotti.
The data is part of Google’s annual ranking, which compiles the topics that featured more in searches throughout 2025 compared to the previous year.
Joao Fonseca
At the age of 19, the athlete reached 28th place in the professional tennis rankings, his best mark in his short career, after defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Basel in October this year – and he would end 2024 at 145th. With this jump, he is now the fifth best ranking ever achieved by a Brazilian, behind Gustavo Kuerten, Thomas Bellucci, Thomas Koch and Fernando Melegeni.
Interest in Fonseca began growing in 2023 and peaked in 2025, according to Google Trends data.
Donald Trump
The president began to attract attention in Brazil after imposing a series of sanctions and customs duties on the country, claiming that former President Jair Bolsonaro was being persecuted by the judiciary in favor of Lula’s government. The attack went so far as to apply the Magnitsky Act to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), and his wife, Vivian Barsi.
Fernanda Torres
The actress made a huge splash after winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her role as Eunice Paiva in the film “Still I’m Here”, which also won Brazil its first Oscar in the Best International Film category.
Hetalo Santos
The influencer was arrested on August 15, on suspicion of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and child labor, following a complaint filed by YouTuber Felca. The investigation progressed quickly after a video was released in which Failaka detailed the accusations.
Astronomy
YouTuber Felipe Prisanem has gone viral with a video titled “Adultization,” in which he denounces cases of child exploitation on social media, including accusations against influencer Hetalo Santos. As a result of the repercussions, YouTube removed many channels that violated child safety policies.
Susan von Richthofen
With the premiere of “Tremembé,” a series depicting the prison of the same name within the city of São Paulo, where people nationally known for their crimes are detained, Suzanne’s name is back in the spotlight.
After the success of the production, she reactivated her personal product store. Susanne left prison in 2023 after serving part of her sentence for the murder of her parents, Manfred and Maricia von Richthofen, in 2002.
Leo Lens
In July, the comedian was sentenced for the first time to eight years and three months in prison for jokes deemed biased, which were made in a 2022 show circulated on YouTube. The case sparked debates about freedom of expression, including in the international press.
Carlo Ancelotti
After long negotiations back and forth, it was announced that he was appointed coach of the Brazilian national team, last May, with a contract valid until the 2026 World Cup. The team, which had been without a coach since the departure of Dorival Junior on March 28, was again led by a foreigner after 60 years.
Elise Matsunaga
Like Suzanne, Elise attracted attention again after her appearance in the series “Tremembé”, considered the most watched production in the history of Prime Video in Brazil. She was convicted in 2016 of first-degree murder and concealment of a body for the killing of her husband, businessman Marcus Matsunaga, and was sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison, which was later commuted. In July 2022, he was released from prison after serving about ten years and is moving to the open system.
Virginia Fonseca
In May, the influencer announced her split from singer Ze Felipe after five years of relationship. The breakup surprised followers, as the couple shared their routine on social media and have three children together. She also gained fame when she made a statement before the CPI das Bets in the same month.
She later reappeared among the most searched topics when she revealed her relationship with player Vinny Junior, and with this announcement she became the third most followed Brazilian woman on Instagram, exceeding the mark of 53 million followers.