The 6 Clubs Lionel Messi Follows on Instagram – PSG Isn’t One of Them

Lionel Messi only follows six football clubs on Instagram, and many will be surprised to learn that Paris Saint-Germain aren’t among the clubs the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner keeps a close eye on. The Argentine icon, arguably the greatest footballer of all time, is a highly marketable sporting figure.

Brands like Adidas, Pepsi, Gatorade, Budweiser, and Hard Rock have all partnered with Messi in recent years due to his massive digital footprint, often co-launching campaigns across his social media channels. With 506 million followers on Instagram at the time of writing – and over 50 million likes on some of his most popular posts – only former El Clasico rival Cristiano Ronaldo has more followers on the platform.

Clearly, however, the 37-year-old isn’t as generous with who he follows back. He only follows 347 accounts in total, with just six of them being football clubs. While this may reflect his desire to keep the beautiful game strictly professional, it’s notable that PSG doesn’t make the cut on his feed – while two Premier League clubs do.

The 6 Football Clubs Lionel Messi Follows on Instagram

He follows all but one of his former clubs

First and foremost, Messi’s choice to follow Inter Miami – his current club – is no surprise. Neither is his decision to follow Barcelona, where he won 35 major honours, or Newell’s Old Boys, the club where he began his professional career before shooting for the stars in Europe.

Many will be less familiar with La Bajada FC, but this refers to the working-class neighborhood in southern Rosario where Messi spent his childhood, living with his family and honing his football skills in local streets and makeshift pitches. Local residents still recall him playing barefoot with neighbourhood kids, a reflection of his early humility and passion, where giant murals of his presence can now be discovered on a tourist trail called the “Messi Circuit.”

Surprisingly, the two Premier League clubs Messi follows are Manchester City and Chelsea. In both 2004 and 2014, the Argentine World Cup winner was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, with leaked reports suggesting he had even informally agreed to a £208 million deal with Chelsea, including an annual wage of £48 million and 70% of image rights – though financial fair play remained a barrier at the time of such proposals, according to Football London.

During Pep Guardiola’s reign at the Etihad Stadium, Messi was also frequently linked with a move to Manchester City for a potential reunion. However, no formal approach was ever made despite the ongoing interest. Elsewhere, despite contributing to 67 goals in 75 appearances for PSG, Messi hasn’t bothered to follow the club – perhaps a reflection of how his devastating frontline partnership with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe ultimately failed to deliver the one trophy that mattered most: the Champions League.