After helping lead a successful FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign for Argentina, soccer star Lionel Messi has been given a rest period until Jan. 1 by his team Paris Saint-German (PSG) to allow for more time for him to recuperate from the games.
Christophe Galtier, the team’s coach, shared that Messi will likely be back by Jan. 2 or Jan. 3 after being given a two-week break by the team instead of being pushed to return to action immediately, largely to accommodate the celebrations in Argentina over the victory and to give him time to rest, according to GOAL.
“As for Leo Messi, who had a brilliant tournament, given they won the competition, he went back to Argentina for the celebrations,” he said. “We made the decision to give him until January 1, so he will be back here with us on the second or third to get back into the swing of things after 13 or 14 days off.”
His other teammates who participated in the tournament, including Kylian Mbappé, who lost to Messi in the World Cup Finals despite successfully scoring a hat trick during the game, have returned to work and are expected to play against Strasbourg as Ligue 1 returns from its midseason break, CNN reported.
Galtier expressed admiration for his players’ composure during the World Cup, including how Mbappé handled the loss by congratulating Messi and Argentina’s manager at the trophy ceremony, showing “savoir-faire and class despite the disappointment.”
“They’re elite-level footballers, and I think that the best cure for them is to come back to work as quickly as possible, where they’re surrounded by their mates, and to get a taste for competitive football again,” Galtier explained about their near-immediate return to the game.
Galtier said that the players who have returned, which also includes Brazilian player Neymar, are “training normally” for the upcoming matches. Messi is expected to return to the competition for the Coupe de France against Chateauroux on Jan. 6.
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