Are fans following stars more than clubs after Messi’s Inter Miami move in 2023?
Lionel Messi's move to Inter Miami in 2023 produced a global spike in social media interest, shirt sales and ticket prices, prompting renewed discussion over whether followers now prioritise players over clubs.
Messi's arrival — and the merchandising frenzy around Inter Miami's flamingo pink — is frequently cited as an example of the phenomenon. "A lot of people are walking around cities and towns in the UK and Europe wearing that flamingo pink of Inter Miami with zero affiliation to Miami, having never been there," explains sports brand strategist James Kirkham. "It's quite a normal thing now. But it is the player who has done the job." The trend, Kirkham adds, has been accelerated by gaming and digital content: "It's been happening for a while, ever since the sheer impact and influence of gaming, particularly on young fans," he says, while Engage and MTM's report 'The Rise of the Second Club Fan' found 80% of global supporters now also follow a second team, a distinction Matthew Kyle describes as tracking individuals rather than institutions.
High-profile examples show how players have taken control of their narratives. In the summer of 2018 Antoine Griezmann teased a televised reveal called 'The Decision' produced by Gerard Pique's company, filmed two different endings and ultimately stayed at Atletico Madrid; Kyle says that "self-commercialisation" did not have the impact it would have done now if it was Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe, adding that "Griezmann was almost before his time." Griezmann later joined Barcelona in 2019 before returning to Atletico two years later.
Players are increasingly using personal platforms to reach fans directly. Kyle says "Players are becoming their own distribution levers, with some in particular taking a driving seat in terms of 'how I project myself onto the world' and building their own channels and audience," and many stars now run their own YouTube channels, including Erling Haaland, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham and Ella Toone. Kirkham notes the shift toward player-led content and commercial formats: "You'll see more and more creating their own entertainment formats, content networks, and that is away from the clubs," and cites his work with Harry Kane on the Cleats Club app as an example.
Major tournaments have magnified the effect on individual followings. Vozinha's Instagram reportedly rose from 50,000 to nearly 30 million after his displays against Spain at the World Cup, while Haaland's popularity surged: "Haaland was a massive winner from the World Cup," says Kyle, noting Haaland "gained more than 51 million followers since 1 July on his social accounts - bear in mind the first six months of this year he only gained 11 million." The article also records that Erling Haaland has 76.7 million followers on Instagram and that Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 129 goals in 148 games since joining Al-Nassr.
Clubs have both benefited from and been challenged by player-driven followings. LAFC reportedly more than doubled their YouTube followers after Son Heung-min joined, with 70% of those new followers coming from South Korea, and Kyle says: "Son is a great example. He wasn't a global superstar when he arrived but he was a huge player from South Korea, and over the course of his time with them Spurs became the most-supported foreign club there, topping Manchester United. Now, when Son left, Spurs didn't immediately lose millions of followers on their socials from Korea. But we did see a small spike on his new club." The piece also notes Turkish side Trabzonspor's windfall following the signing of Mohammed Salah after his nine years at Liverpool.
There is a clear tension between club control and player autonomy over content and commercial value. Kirkham warns that "The clubs are very aware, but they can't do a lot other than build their own club ecosystem. It is difficult because they don't fully own the player - they can go and talk about their favourite rap music on a show or do a podcast. It will be a continual trade off, where the club get everything from them because of shirt sales but they know ultimately they are human with their own power to do the shows and content they want." He adds: "It means more and more for them. Fans have an insatiable appetite for football and the chances are it can't be fully quenched, because at the moment you can't put enough out there."
Kyle offers a practical focus for clubs seeking to retain fans recruited by individual stars: "Every player leaves eventually, even if they leave by retiring at your club. So it's about using them as an asset while there and thinking about how all fans are also interested in stuff off the pitch. Behind the scenes content always does really well. Even if you're not a fan of that club, you might stop scrolling and watch 'a day in the life' of a player because it might be good content."
