Lionel Messi is in line to return to club duty with Paris Saint-Germain at the start of January, according to reports in his native Argentina.
Messi has been celebrating in his homeland since leading Argentina to their first World Cup win since 1986, as well as spending Christmas at home with his family.
However, Argentine outlet TyC Sports has now reported that the 35-year-old will return to training with his club by no later than January 3 2023 as his side looks to continue in their pursuit of another Ligue 1 title and a first-ever Champions League win.
Messi won the Golden Ball for his performances in Qatar, rolling back the years as he ran the show for his country.
The former Barcelona wizard scored seven times and assisted three more goals for his teammates as La Albiceleste recovered from a shock opening-match defeat against Saudi Arabia to win the entire competition.
The victory has largely been viewed as a culmination of Messi’s astonishing career, cementing his status as an icon of the game and arguably the greatest ever to play the sport.
In Argentina, fans now view Messi as a national treasure on par with the great Diego Maradona, whose passion and success with the national side had meant he remained the more beloved figure in Messi’s homeland.
Messi had previously been viewed by Argentinians as too cold and lacking in passion, but he put those theories to bed in Qatar with a series of fiery and confrontational displays.
The forward even squared up to Dutch striker Wout Weghorst during a post-match interview following a testy match between the two countries, underlining his commitment to the cause and single-minded determination to lead his nation to victory.
