That’s it for the World Cup – now what?

Although the World Cup has ended, it will nevertheless have a major impact on the upcoming club season.

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It has been a gripping, enthralling month of World Cup action, culminating in France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final to give Les Bleus their second World Cup title and first since 1998.

However, lost in the shuffle of everything that has gone on is this: what impact is this World Cup going to have on the players as they prepare for the upcoming European club football season?

Some players in this World Cup have seen their stock soar, while others have seen theirs collapse.

One of the more interesting points to be discussed in the wake of the World Cup is this: what is going to happen at PSG this season?

During the World Cup, PSG’s two superstars, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, had very different experiences.

Mbappe was the breakout superstar of the tournament, emerging as one of the world’s best players, even at the age of 19. He scored four goals and was arguably France’s best player during their run to the title.

On the other hand, Neymar’s Brazil team were knocked out in the quarterfinals, and Neymar himself became an object of scorn and ridicule because of his overreactions during matches, especially when he was fouled.

Taking these factors into consideration, as well as the fact that prior to the World Cup, Neymar had been the focal point of PSG’s team, it will be interesting to see if Neymar will be willing to take more of a backseat to accommodate his younger teammate, or if Mbappe’s growing stature will lead to discord between the two, which would potentially derail the Paris club’s season.

Given Neymar’s personality, as well as the fact that he left Barcelona to become the best player on a team, the latter scenario is a distinct possibility.

Another point which remains to be seen is the question of which previously-overlooked players have earned a move to a bigger club through their World Cup performances.

Among the players who rose to global prominence during the World Cup include Villareal winger Denis Cheryshev (Russia), Stuttgart full-back Benjamin Pavard (France), Beşiktaş centre-back Domagoj Vida (Croatia), and Leicester centre-back Harry Maguire (England).

Do not be surprised if, on the back of their strong World Cup campaigns, one or more of these players end up signing for a major European club during the ongoing transfer window.

In the past, players have used the World Cup as a springboard to take their career to the next level, and these players have the opportunity to do just that.

The World Cup also certainly had an impact on the race for the Ballon d’Or.

Every year since 2008, the award has been won by either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. However, this year, that may change because of the fact that neither Ronaldo’s Portugal nor Messi’s Argentina were all that impressive during the tournament, as both teams were knocked out in the round of 16.

That may open the door for the likes of Mbappe, his French teammate Antoine Griezmann, tournament MVP Luka Modric, or perhaps a fringe contender such as Harry Kane or Kevin De Bruyne, to come through and break Ronaldo and Messi’s stranglehold on football’s most prestigious individual honour.

On a related note, it also remains to be seen how players from countries such as Spain, Germany, and Argentina will respond to their World Cup failures.

These countries are all powerhouses of world football, but all three were knocked out of the World Cup early. Therefore, there are two possibilities as to the mindset with which their players will enter the club season: either they will go in with a chip on their shoulder and take out their World Cup frustrations on opposing teams, or their failure at the World Cup will continue to weigh heavily on their minds, thus negatively affecting their level of play for their clubs.

All of these factors which the World Cup has influenced, as well as the fact that the transfer window still has over a month to run, lead to one conclusion: get ready for a truly enthralling 2018-19 season of European club football that will hopefully rival the World Cup in terms of sheer excitement and intensity.

Eu Weijun works at FMT.