Lionel Messi was crowned Ballon d'Or winner for a record eighth time after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.
Gareth Bale announced his retirement from football following a trophy-laden playing career.
RB Leipzig have been boosted by the return of forward Timo Werner to training from injury.
A World Cup which concluded with Argentina’s victory over France on penalties on Sunday saw a number of players enhance their reputation.
After the World Cup earned Qatar both plaudits and censure, the energy-rich Gulf state is now starting a marathon to secure the 2036 Olympics and a place as a pillar of world sport.
The Premier League was the leading division at the tournament, with a total of 33,786 minutes shared between 121 players, ahead of Spain’s La Liga (18,343) and Germany’s Bundesliga (14,289).