Lionel Messi follows only 6 clubs on Instagram, it includes two Premier League giants but not PSG

Lionel Messi follows only six clubs on Instagram, alongside Manchester City and Chelsea. However, the legendary Argentine does not follow Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the club he recently left.

Messi has a huge number of fans on Instagram, totaling a truly impressive 499 million. However, he follows just 306 accounts, including six football clubs, including his current side Inter Miami. He spent the bulk of his career at Barcelona, and he follows them as well.

Aside from these, the legendary forward follows his childhood team Newell's Old Boys and a local club in his hometown named La Bajada 10. The only two clubs he has no direct correlation to on the list are Manchester City and Chelsea. However, according to SPORTbible, he does not follow PSG, even after playing with them for two years.

Lionel Messi hinted at the reason for this in an interview with ESPN, revealing that his time in France was tough (via SPORTbible):

"To enjoy it once more, as I've done my whole career, after two difficult years, the truth is we had it rough."

In contrast to France, Messi has found some happiness in the United States with Inter Miami:

"But as luck would have it, we're in a place where we're happy not just because of the results on the pitch but because of the everyday life with my wife, my kids, our lifestyle and the way we spend our time. Truth is, we're enjoying this moment very much."

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Lionel Messi apologizes further for China gaffe

Lionel Messi has apologized again for being absent during Inter Miami's World Tour friendly with Hong Kong XI. The fans had packed the stadium, looking expectant to watch him play, but the legendary Argentine did not make a substitute appearance.

This has led to massive backlash, with fans slamming the club and the playmaker for his absence. It also did not help that, although Messi claimed he was injured, he ended up playing in Japan only three days later.

The Chinese government reacted as well, immediately cancelling Argentina's friendlies against Nigeria and Ivory Coast, which were set to take place in March.

In a video posted on Chinese social media site Weibo, Messi said (via CNN):

“I’ve had a very close and special relationship with China and I’ve done a lot of things in China.”

The video has received a generally positive response, racking up over 200,000 likes within an hour of its posting.