PSG lose 1m Instagram followers over Messi’s exit

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have lost almost one million Instagram followers since Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi’s final match for the Ligue 1 champions on Saturday, June 3.

PSG confirmed their final league game of the season would be Messi’s last for the club on Saturday, with a statement claiming they were “proud to have had the greatest footballer of all time”.

Despite an impressive season in Paris that has seen him score 21 goals across all competitions, Messi’s final game at the Parc des Princes ended in a shock defeat to mid-table Clermont.

Supporters booed their star forward after the game, which ended two years that have failed to see them won over by a man who could not bring a Champions League title.

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Messi’s role in Argentina’s World Cup victory over France and his unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia earlier this year are unlikely to have helped his cause.

Whether it was due to the disrespect shown to a beloved star or the confirmation he would be leaving remains unclear, but PSG’s Instagram following took a big hit after the Clermont game.

It dropped from 69.9 million to 69.1 million, indicative of the influence such a player has on global fandom.

Messi, who moved to PSG in 2021 after leaving Barcelona, has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia while talk of a return to the Nou Camp has picked up in Spain in recent weeks.

There was an option for Messi to extend his initial two-year deal at PSG – worth £25 million per year after tax, plus bonuses – by a further 12 months, however, he has decided against staying on.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, who scored 672 goals in 778 appearances for Barcelona between 2003 and 2021, has spent the last two seasons at PSG after Barcelona let him move for free due to being unable to renew his contract.

The Star