Lionel Messi has been given a hero’s welcome on his return to Paris Saint-Germain following his exploits at the World Cup.
Messi was the star for Argentina in Qatar, scoring seven goals and registering three assists to help them claim their third title. The 35-year-old scored twice in the exhilarating final against France, which finished 3-3 after extra-time, before also netting in the 4-2 win on penalties.
There were concerns that Messi would not be fondly welcomed back to his club side, considering his prominent role in ending France’s hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups. After being allowed an extended period of leave to celebrate in Argentina, Messi returned to Paris at the start of January.
PSG face an extremely low-key first game back for Messi, with a trip to face third-tier side Chateauroux in the French Cup on the schedule this Friday. His first chance to play in front of a big crowd at the Parc des Princes comes against Angers in Ligue 1 next Wednesday.
His potential return to action may be underwhelming, but PSG certainly pulled out all the stops for Messi’s return to training. A video posted by the club on Twitter shows the playmaker being given a guard of honour by his teammates, coaching personnel and training centre staff.
After being applauded onto the pitch, Messi was presented with a trophy to recognise his achievement. The joyous mood backs up comments by manager Christophe Galtier, who allayed any fears of a hostile reception from French fans for the PSG star.
Une 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐞 𝐝'𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫 pour notre champion du monde ! 👏❤️💙#BravoLeo pic.twitter.com/xsRHdfVbQS
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) January 4, 2023
