This season will be unlike any other in recent history. Starting in November, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar will kickoff, and the top leagues in Europe will pause their season for players to go off with their national teams and compete for the biggest trophy in the sport. Usually, more games would have a negative effect, but for Paris Saint-Germain, a mid-season World Cup could be beneficial.
The tournament itself is one of the more highly anticipated competitions in recent memory. Set against the controversial backdrop of Qatar hosting its first World Cup, there are plenty of storylines for fans to focus on, and in terms of the favorites to win it all, you can check out the leading Mr Green betting platform.
For PSG, several players will be representing their countries, including Kylian Mbappé (France), Lionel Messi (Argentina), and Neymar Jr. (Brazil). The young Frenchman will lead defending champions France while Messi and Neymar look to win their first title and cement their legacy as one of the best to ever play the game. That motivation is why I think PSG will benefit in the end.
In recent seasons, it’s been said that PSG fail in the UEFA Champions League because they play in Ligue 1 where they coast past teams and are rarely threatened in a meaningful manner. The hypothesis is that because PSG isn’t tested on a weekly basis domestically, when they do face off against Real Madrid or FC Bayern Munich, they’re unable to cope with the sudden increase in quality and fall flat.
So far in the Qatar Sports Investments era, you could argue this theory is correct. The only time PSG reached the Champions League final was during the 2019-20 season, which was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of that, they’ve had several humiliating losses, including the famous 6-1 defeat to FC Barcelona after being up 4-0 after the first leg.
A mid-season World Cup would keep PSG’s best players fit, focused, and there’s no question they’ll be tested. The tournament does feature the best players in the world, after all. Speaking of which, Mbappe will be the marquee name in Qatar. He is a player that wants to win everything and if he’s able to win the World Cup with France, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the Champions League with PSG all in one season, the Ballon d’Or will have his name on it. That kind of motivation will only help spur PSG to greatness this season. Now, let’s just hope everyone can stay healthy.
