Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a comfortable 5-0 victory against Auxerre on Sunday. However, none of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe were rested with only a week before the start of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Here, find out why.
Due to the extraordinary nature of the conditions at this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the potential for serious injury is much higher than usual. With the final matches of the European leagues only a week before the competition, players will be at considerable risk due to the lack of time to prepare.
The World Cup was originally scheduled to take place in June and July, but was postponed due to extreme heat in the host country of Qatar. As much as players will benefit from the new schedule, it has been a setback for a few teams.
As the tournament takes place in the middle of the European club season instead of the usual off-season, any players who have sustained injuries in the weeks leading up to the event may not be able to participate. This year’s World Cup begins on Sunday 20 November, leaving players with just one week between the end of club play and the start of competition.
The reason why Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe started for PSG vs Auxerre
On Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain featured in their last Ligue 1 game before Qatar 2022. Before the clash, their manager Christophe Galtier had admitted that a number of his players are concerned about getting hurt and missing the tournament in Qatar, but added that he didn’t plan on resting any of the stars.
“I’m not going to spare anyone against Auxerre. I have everyone available… No player has come to me to say they don’t want to play or that they fear this last game before the World Cup”, Galtier said at the pre-match press conference.
12 PSG players will be leaving for the World Cup, but none of them were ruled out for Sunday’s league game against Auxerre. The starting lineup even comprised Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar before leaving for Qatar.
Eventually, the French champions cruised to a comfortable victory, with Kylian Mbappe, the star player for France, scoring the game’s first goal. A combined 5-0 triumph was achieved thanks to goals from Carlos Soler, Achraf Hakimi, Renato Sanches, and Hugo Ekitike.
Both Lionel Messi and Neymar were taken off as subs around the 75-minute mark. According to Roy Nemer of Mundo Albiceleste, the Argentine will arrive in the United Arab Emirates on Monday morning to join the rest of his national squad.
