Messi and Mbappe return to Qatar one month after epic World Cup final for PSG's winter tour

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and others return to Qatar one month after Argentina's World Cup victory as they gear up for their winter tour. The French giants will face Cristiano Ronaldo-led Riyadh XI in a friendly on January 19.

Football enthusiasts in Qatar are in for a treat as Argentina's World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi, Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and other Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) stars arrived back in Doha, a month after the epic final at Lusail Stadium.

The French giants, who are back in the Middle Eastern country for the winter tour, shared videos and photographs of the star-studded team landing in Doha on Wednesday for a series of activations organised by the club's partners in Qatar. PSG stars will participate in a series of advertising commitments with Qatar Airways, ALL, Qatar Tourism, QNB, Ooredoo and Aspetar, as announced by the club.

Messi and Co. will train at the Khalifa Stadium today before they make their way to Riyadh for their friendly against a combined XI of Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal stars, captained by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fans are gearing up for the high-octane Messi vs Ronaldo clash, which will be held at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh at 8:30 PM IST. The last time the two football giants clashed was in December 2020 when Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League.

Messi and Mbappe's presence on Qatari soil precisely a month after epic Argentina vs France final at World Cup 2022 brought back memories of the thrilling encounter. During the iconic clash, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner scored a brace and also saw Angel di Maria score the second goal for Argentina. However, 24-year-old Mbappe made a resounding comeback with a sensational hat-trick to level the scores 3-3 after extra time. However, France failed to win the title after they lost to Argentina on penalties (4-2), handing Messi his first World Cup glory.

Following Argentina's third win in the showpiece tournament, Messi and Co. celebrated, while Mbappe became fodder for trolls, including Argentinean goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The two PSG stars, however, are back on Qatari soil, and their focus will remain on Thursday's match against Ronaldo and Co.