The Top 10 Stars Who Will Miss Out On The FIFA World Cup 2022 In Qatar

10 months ago

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is getting closer than ever. Wales booked its place for the mega event with a narrow lead over Ukraine. 30 of the 32 teams have been designated for the first-ever Winter World Cup. The group stages are ready and so are the fans.

This will be the last dance in the FIFA World Cup for some veterans as well. At the very least, they could consider themselves more fortunate than those who did not appear on the World Cup stage.

However, the 2022 FIFA World Cup will be missing some of the best talents in world football right now.

Not many prestigious names will make a trip to the Middle East. football He lists the top 10 players the world won’t see later this year.

Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)

The Italian champions won a penalty shoot-out against England in the Euro 2020 final. Donnarumma was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper. However, his fortune and that of Italy have been in sharp decline since then.

He was one of the main culprits in the embarrassing meltdown against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Facing North Macedonia in the semi-finals, Donnarumma was defeated from distance.

Read also: Despite winning the French League, PSG’s season has been far from successful.

That defeat propelled the Azzurri to the World Cup finals again at home. Things didn’t get any better for Donnarumma in the 2022 final either.

And conceded three goals as Argentina beat the trot. The world stage will be missing one of its most talented young players.

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

The Algeria wide striker has been a consistent performer for Manchester City over the years.

Mahrez is also the standout player for his national team who came within moments of qualifying. And by scoring one goal in the second leg of the play-off final at home, Algeria fell early.

The match went to extra time, where they scored in the 118th minute. There were only seconds left for Mahrez and his teammates. They were already half celebrating. However, Cameroon and Karl Toko Ekambi had other plans.

The striker scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time to break the Algerians’ hearts as the indomitable Lions advanced on the away goals rule.

Luis Diaz (Colombia)

The Colombian star has dominated the league since his arrival in January. Liverpool won two titles with Luis Diaz shining in both finals. However, he could not translate this form for his national team.

Colombia finished their qualifying campaign in fifth place, one point behind Peru. With only four locations on offer, Diaz will have to target 2026 by now. It was a sad ending for the player who finished first on the scorers list at the 2021 Copa America.

Read alsoHow Luis Diaz immediately settled for Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

The striker saw a renewal of his career with Barcelona in the latter part of the season. Aubameyang is a killer scorer, able to get past defenders and finish the match with ease.

However, the difference in quality between him and his teammates is evident among the Gabonese players. The African country ranked second in Group F qualifying behind Egypt. So, it would be another World Cup without the prolific baggage driver stunning the fans.

David Alaba (Austria)

The greatest Austrian player of this generation is still waiting to appear in his first World Cup Final. Alaba was a serial winner with Bayern Munich, and now Real Madrid. He plays in a variety of positions with Austria, each equally effective.

However, they ranked behind both Denmark and Wales in their group. Although there is a handful of professional players in Europe who get regular minutes, it will be a big deal for Alaba and his cohorts. in Qatar.

Martin Odegaard (Norway)

After a series of loan spells, Odegaard finally found his home with Arsenal. He was a mainstay for the young team that went toe-to-toe with England’s best player.

Odegaard has been playing regularly for some time and is enjoying himself. Moreover, this form was translated into his national team where he was also the captain at times.

However, Norway has not come close to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. They haven’t played in a major international tournament since Odegaard was two. 2026 will provide another opportunity that Odegaard will try to exploit with the Norwegian Golden Generation.

Marco Verratti (Italy)

The mercurial midfielder was one of Italy’s champions at Euro 2020. Verratti’s quiet presence on the ball as well as excellent passing make him a must-have for every team. Like Donnarumma, the PSG star was helpless as Italy fell to North Macedonia.

It is a pity that the Azzurri did not make the World Cup during Verratti’s heyday years.

Having missed out on 2018, another sad winter will be at home for Verratti. Moreover, his chances in 2026 are also bleak as Roberto Mancini has announced that he will be looking at new faces.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden)

The man, the legend, the legend. Ibrahimovic was the spiritual hero of Milan who finally won the Scudetto after 11 years.

His relationship with the national team has been consistent as always. Ibrahimovic came out of retirement to try to help Sweden qualify for the World Cup but that wasn’t enough. They took second place in their group, behind Spain.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Image credits: nssmag.com

A 1-0 win over the Czech Republic in the play-off semi-finals saw the winner-takes-all face Poland in the final.

However, Sweden lost 2-0 as Robert Lewandowski inspired the Poles to fulfill their World Cup dreams. At the age of 40, the world has definitely witnessed another Ibrahimovic on the biggest stage.

Erling Haaland (Norway)

Nor will he be Manchester City’s latest World Cup signing, either. Like Odegaard, Haaland’s superior goal-scoring prowess wasn’t enough for Norway. He has been suffering a severe rupture at club level with Borussia Dortmund over the past two seasons.

There is plenty of time for Haaland for the World Cup, given that he is only 21 years old. Furthermore, he could also be joined by his cousin, Albert Tjaland, who himself became a scoring sensation.

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

The Egyptian ace has achieved 2022 mixed so far. Egypt lost the African Nations Cup final to Senegal in February. Egypt was knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers at the last level by the Teranga Lions in March. Liverpool won both domestic cup competitions but missed out on the Premier League and the Champions League.

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Salah has been awarded the Golden Boot and Playmaker of the Season for most goals and assists.

He stands head and shoulders above the rest of his teammates in the national team. That gap in the class hampered his chances of qualifying for the World Cup. He will have another chance in 2026 and he will be sure to pass it.

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