Report: When will Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe return to action for PSG?

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar attackers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both participated in the final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament in Qatar on Sunday, December 18, 2022. Following the conclusion of the competition, the duo are now expected to return to the Parc des Princes to continue their 2022-23 club campaign.

According to Sports.fr, Messi and Mbappe could make their highly-anticipated return to PSG on January 1, when the French giants will face Lens in a Ligue 1 encounter.

However, the Parisians may need to wait until January 11 to see their two superstars in action against Angers.

The report states that PSG are originally scheduled to return for the continuation of their Ligue 1 season on December 28 when they'll host Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes.

Messi and Mbappe won't be part of the squad on that day as they've been granted an extended break to recover from the stress and emotions of the World Cup.

The two forwards really stood out in the tournament and managed to fire for their respective nations into the final where they faced each other. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner managed to come out on top courtesy of a penalty shootout, which Argentina won 4-2.

Lionel Messi ended the tournament with an impressive seven goals and three assists to his name in seven games and was named the best player of the competition. The Argentine scored in every game of the knockout phase, including twice in the final, becoming the first player in history to reach that feat.

Kylian Mbappe also came out as a winner. The Frenchman was awarded the golden boot after finishing with the most goals (8), just one above his club teammate.

The 23-year-old also became the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Geoff Hurst last did it for England in 1966.

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Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe lead 2023 Ballon d'Or race

Argentina v France: Final - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

The two PSG superstars have become the frontrunners in the race for the 2023 Ballon d'Or award following their brilliant performances at this year's World Cup. In addition, they also have decent numbers at the club level to further boost their chances.

Lionel Messi has a record of 12 goals and 14 assists to his name in 19 appearances for PSG across all competitions so far this season. Kylian Mbappe, on the other hand, has 19 goals and five assists to his name in 20 matches for the Parisians.

It is worth noting that the Argentine currently has a slight edge over his French counterpart owing to his World Cup triumph. The latter, however, will certainly be there to give him a run for his money come the end of the campaign.