Big Names Missing from the World Cup 2022
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The 2022 Qatar World Cup is the first competition taking place in winter and with a Middle Eastern host country. The football festival kicks off on November 20th, as Qatar takes on Ecuador in Al Kohr.
Excitement has been building for years, with Brazil looking to secure the Jules Rimet trophy for the first time in decades. The only problem? Some huge names will miss out on the tournament. Keep reading for the lowdown!
N’Golo Kante
France and Chelsea's tireless central midfielder will miss the 2022 World Cup after surgery for a hamstring injury. The enforcer will be a massive loss to France, who were indebted to his services during the 2018 World Cup.
Few players can match Kante’s sheer desire to hurry the opposition and make midfield tackles. France will need to rely on a new breed of midfield strongmen, such as Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in Qatar. It could be their time to shine!
Luis Diaz
In Liverpool's October defeat to Arsenal, Luis Diaz suffered a gutting knee injury. It was a cruel blow for the Colombian, who had been increasingly looking like the Red’s best player in the opening stages of the season.
Diaz is undeniably one of the best wingers in the world, but he wouldn't have been at the 2022 World Cup, even without injury. Colombia sadly failed to qualify after being beaten to the last spot by Peru in March 2022.
Erling Haaland
The electrifying Erling Haaland is every defender’s worst nightmare. Still, he won’t be scoring goals for fun at the 2022 World Cup after Norway failed to qualify. The striker has an impressive international goal record, hitting the net 20 times in 21 appearances for his country.
It wasn't enough this time around. Haaland and his other wunderkind compatriot Martin Odegaard will have to wait another four years.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
In most games this Swedish footballer is the gold standard and definitely the one to beat. This players’ shock return to AC Milan created a bigger splash in the football media than a bass in the big bass splash slot. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been one of the best players in the world for the last two decades. His longevity at the top is frightening, and he still plays a crucial part for AC Milan at 41.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Ibrahimovic will play in another World Cup for Sweden, as they failed to qualify for Qatar after being dumped out by Poland. But who knows? Fans wouldn’t be surprised if he never stopped playing.
Mohamed Salah
Senegal beat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt in the African Cup of Nations and then again shortly after in a World Cup qualifier playoff. The disappointment on the Liverpool legend’s face was obvious, but at least he had his mate Sadio Mane on the other side to comfort him.
Salah won’t be at the 2022 World Cup, but at least he will get a few valuable weeks to recharge before the English Premier League starts up again.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, these players won't be at the 2022 World Cup, but there are plenty of other top players to watch out for such as Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Bukayo Saka that are ready to make the difference in the tournament.