Since their time at Paris Saint-Germain is finished, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar no longer even follow one another on Instagram.

The world’s top soccer players, who have a combined 320 million Instagram followers, have lost a sizable number of followers throughout the most recent international break. The fans were left wondering how the French and Brazilian No. 10s got to this point after they went from working wonders on the field to having a strained relationship off it.

Why did Neymar unfollow Mbappe on Instagram?

Observant supporters have drawn attention to Mbappe’s posts about PSG players who have left in recent months. When Messi left for Inter Miami, the Frenchman made an emotional Instagram farewell post for him, but not for Neymar, who joined Saudi club Al-Hilal. Mbappe also published farewell messages from the PSG account on his page and shared images of himself with other teammates who had found new clubs.

Although no one is certain of the exact cause, the timing of the mutual unfollowing indicates that Mbappe’s farewell to Marco Verratti, who had also accepted a transfer to Saudi Arabia, may have been the turning point for Neymar.

Neymar and Mbappe’s troubled relationship at PSG

On the field, Neymar and Mbappe’s romance grew swiftly in Paris. They combined for 335 goals for the club in all competitions throughout their five years at the club.

However, their differences intensified over time. L’Equipe claimed from the previous campaign that Neymar believed Mbappe was attempting to push him out of the club in the summer. Early in the season, the two argued over who would take a penalty shot. Later, Neymar was seen liking a post that implied Mbappe had greater sway over the team due to his new deal.

While the partnership was not ideal, it did enable Paris Saint-Germain to achieve historically significant feats. Fans of both athletes were startled and heartbroken to see the partnership come to a virtual end in this way, despite the indications of strain.