By Tim Stannard.
In terms of being brought back down to earth with a bump, Lionel Messi is not in a bad place at PSG where the World Cup winner can line up alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar once again.
Fellow Albiceleste champions such as the goading goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, is facing a grueling relegation battle with Aston Villa in the Premier League while Angel di Maria will suffer both sporting and institutional dysfunction at Juventus.
While the dream of a World Cup win with Argentina has been ticked off Messi's bucket list, there are still four big challenges to be faced from now until the end of the season for the player: win the Champions League, win Ligue 1, win the Coupe de France and win an eighth Ballon d'Or title, a feat that may not be repeated for some time.
The 2023 title would seem to be a shoe-in for Messi and that is certainly the opinion of the bookmakers. The PSG forward is the early favorite with a 77% probability of winning the title. Messi had an outstanding tournament in Qatar and there is a lot of goodwill for the player. However, by the time the end of the season rolls around, the World Cup might be a distant memory.
Besides, it's a bit of a myth that a World Cup victory will clinch a Ballon d'Or victory for a top-performing player. The winners in the previous three World Cup years were Luka Modric, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi who were rewarded for their club performances, although Modric's trip to the final with Croatia certainly helped.
With Messi's return to soccer on the horizon, there is still work for to be done to clinch Ballon d'Or number eight and beat back the threat from two rivals.
Kylian Mbappe
The biggest challenger is set to be Kylian Mbappe, but with a catch. As PSG teammates, their fates are very much entwined. A Ligue 1 victory and a Champions League win for PSG would logically tip the Ballon d'Or in Messi's direction even more.
However, imagine a scenario where Mbappe added the top-scorer prize in Ligue 1 and the Champions League to his performances and goal tally from the World Cup. It could be the Frenchman who gets his chest over the line in the Ballon d'Or sprint finish. Oh, and the Ballon d'Or is a very French football prize.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland's path to the Ballon d'Or title very much lies in the realm of 'what if?' The Norwegian forward will never be able to rely on the exploits of his national team to pick up Ballon d'Or brownie points. Instead, he's going to have to do the hard work with his club. And that's exactly what he's delivering so far this season.
What if PSG fall to Bayern Munich at the first stage of the Champions League knockout stage, a very real scenario?
What if Haaland keeps up his scoring rate in the Premier League to hit between 40 to 50 strikes come May?
What if these goals were enough to deliver the Premier League title to Manchester City?
And what if Pep Guardiola finally, finally takes City over the line with a Champions League win?
A double club champion and record-breaking Premier League goal-scorer would be a more than a compelling case for Haaland to win the Ballon d'Or, especially if PSG were to really stumble in the Champions League.
While the visit of Ligue 1's worst side to Paris on Wednesday might have a very different vibe to a World Cup final against France's best, it's the start of a new bout of hard work and drama for Messi in his pursuit of another Ballon d'Or title.
Champions never rest.
Catch PSG vs. Angers live on beIN SPORTS on Wednesday 11th January from 2:55PM ET / 11:55AM PT.
