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Paris was already blessed with the Eiffel Tower, Palais du Louvre and other imperial attractions. Thanks to PSG they now also have football's precious gem Lionel Messi on display. In what was a very sentimental moment in Messi's life, the Barcelona star had to switch clubs and join PSG due to the Catalans' financial crisis.
Barcelona have many promising youngsters emerging from their academy and shining in the first team but the Messi-sized void can never be filled. However, the grass just turned greener on the other side as the Argentine maestro shifted outfits.
PSG gained almost seven million new followers on Instagram after his arrival was officially announced. The French club's profits burst off the roof as PSG sold 832,000 shirts in a period of 24 hours, generating a staggering £103.8 million at the time.
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PSG have some very popular Instagram sensations among their ranks
However, PSG were already stocked with some of the most popular stars of this generation. The likes of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe, among others, have been the heartthrobs of the French club both on and off the pitch.
PSG have added quite a few free agents to their squad this transfer window and they feel prepared to challenge for the Champions League title. The dynamic off the pitch has also changed drastically and having so many stars of great popularity is a challenge in any dressing room. So far, some of these superstars, who are big Instagram influencers have been coexisting well.
On that note, let's take a look at PSG's five most followed stars on Instagram:
#5 Angel Di Maria - 15.3 million
It's a fair deal to see that the first name on this list happens to be the longest serving PSG man of all five. The French capital adopted Angel Di Maria as one of their own and he has put his nightmarish spell with Manchester United behind him. The Argentine joined PSG back in 2015 and has been crucial to their success.
The winger has a healthy following of 15.3 million on Instagram and is a much-loved member of the PSG squad. Di Maria is often seen sharing pictures with his family on his Instagram profile. He is very close to his wife and daughters and posts pictures whenever he's spending quality time with them.
In his very first season, the Argentine star established himself as a reliable figure who could change the tide of the game. He provided 18 assists in his debut season with PSG and broke the record for most assists in a single Ligue 1 campaign by Marvin Martin. Di Maria was instrumental in PSG's 3-0 win against RB Leipzig in the Champions League semi-final and guided them to the final with one goal and two assists. Ultimately, he ended up on the losing side as Bayern Munich tasted continental glory in 2019-20.
#4 Sergio Ramos - 48.3 million
In the last decade, one of the most crucial battles of the El Clasico used to be Sergio Ramos versus Lionel Messi. It was vocal, it was physical, it was fiesty, they kept grudges and were never shy of flaunting it when they had the bragging rights.
Those two gentlemen in the same outfit? It was an impossible dream that many fantasized of. Fast forward to 2021 and the two legends left their beloved clubs to join PSG. God bless them, the fantasies of millions are set to be fulfilled.
Ramos boasts a following of 48.3 million on Instagram. He is extremely photogenic and uses the trait well while posing. He loves to flaunt his well toned muscular body on Instagram and is sometimes accompanied by his son to training sessions.
Following his high-profile transfer, the Spaniard has been a notable absentee from the PSG squad. Apparently, a calf injury has kept Ramos out of action for almost three months now. He is expected to join the squad for training from this week onwards.
#3 Kylian Mbappe - 60.5 million
Kylian Mbappe continues to be a PSG player thanks to Nasser Al-Khelaifi's stubbornness. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez came to talk business with the French giants earlier in the summer. Despite the dedicated approach and willingness to spend cash from Real Madrid, PSG held on to their priced possession.
At 19, Mbappe became France's youngest goalscorer at the World Cup in Russia. In the same competition in 2018, Mbappe went down in the history books as he became the only teenager after Pele to score in the World Cup final. Talk about keeping elite company, huh.
The French sensation has 60.5 million followers on Instagram, where he often posts photos of his goal celebrations, sometimes with match balls and trophies. He also frequently keeps giving glimpses of his luxurious car collection.
Many believe Mbappe wants to leave PSG sooner rather than later, with his contract set to expire next summer. He desires to move to Real Madrid because there is a guarantee that he will be the new face of the Galacticos. He has started the season well, scoring six goals and assisting another six in 14 games in Ligue 1 and the Champions League combined.
#2 Neymar Jr. - 163 million
In the last couple of years, every transfer window has brought a little bit of speculation about Neymar's return to Barcelona and whether he'll link up with Messi again. Fate has its own way of answering, it seems.
The former Barcelona pair are now reunited at PSG with Neymar, who was the club's most popular Instagram star, with 163 million followers pushed to second spot after Messi's arrival. The Brazilian's Instagram profile is a happening place where he keeps sharing his custom posters designed by fans, his casual outings with friends and squad members.
Neymar likes to bring his A-game in terms of fashion to photoshoots and his Instagram is proof of that. He has recently promoted brands like Replay, PUMA and French brand 'Above' on his profile.
The PSG star's form has been worrisome this season as he has only played six out of 11 Ligue 1 games, managing one goal and two assists. He is yet to open his account in the Champions League this year.
#1 Lionel Messi - 277 million
Lionel Messi is the third most followed personality on Instagram and that naturally makes him the most followed PSG superstar. He has a total of 277 million followers on Instagram and clearly the impact of his influence was visible when he switched clubs this summer.
The former Barcelona man keeps his Instagram profile very candid and does not have a habit of going overboard with fashion accessories while dressing up. He was recently spotted promoting Jewelry and Watch brand Jacob and Co. and often promotes his own brand The Messi Store on his Instagram. Messi features in many Adidas commercials as well.
The Argentine was visibly upset and emotional during his last press conference in Spain with Barcelona.
However, he is all set to rock in his new outfit and has proved changing clubs did not take any magic away from him in PSG's latest Champions League outings. He opened his PSG account by linking up with Mbappe in the win over Manchester City and scored a brace against RB Leipzig in their next encounter.
However, in Ligue 1, the Argentine maestro is yet to get on the score sheet after making four appearances. It is only the first time since the 2005-06 season that Messi has gone four games into a top-flight league campaign without scoring a goal. Hopefully the fifth time will be a charm for the PSG star.
