Biggest Stars Missing the 2022 World Cup

The FIFA World Cup is the biggest and most important football event in the world. Athletes train and work all their life just to get a small chance to make history. But most players never make it into the finals. This article is about them, the biggest stars missing the 2022 World Cup.

The absolute best is expected from the elites of the football world. When you’re at the top, one wrong step could be all it takes to fall. Many of the best players in the world will not be in Qatar later this year. And some of them might not even get another chance to make it to the finals. We put together a list of the biggest stars missing the 2022 World Cup. All of these players failed to qualify with their countries, meaning they’ll be watching from their sofas later this year. 

No World Cup goals for Erling Haaland this year

Haaland has been one of the best and most popular players this year. He was already considered a star at Dortmund but he became even better since he moved to Manchester City. Erling already broke several Premier League records and the season only started in August. The fact that Haaland can average more goals than games feels illegal. But we won’t be seeing our inhuman striker at the World Cup this year.

Norway missed the qualification after Turkey beat them by 3 points for the 2nd spot in their group. Haaland played in 6 matches of his country’s initial 10 and scored 5 goals. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Champions League, Premier League, Nations League, or else, Haaland’s goalscoring cannot be stopped. He’s no doubt the biggest star to miss the 2022 World Cup. If you want to continue following the members of Group G from the UEFA qualifiers, check out our World Cup Group A predictions.

Mohamed Salah – Biggest stars missing the 2022 World Cup

Salah was one of the best players in the world last season but 2022 hasn’t been kind to him. He won the Premier League Golden Boot but apart from that, the Egyptian forward had a lot of bad luck. First, Senegal beat Egypt and Salah on penalties in the AFCON 2022 final.

Then to make matters worse, the two nations met again in the final round of the CAF World Cup qualifiers. Things came down to an edge once again and Salah missed a crucial penalty, leading to Egypt’s absence from the finals this year.

Furthermore, Liverpool’s season isn’t going that well so far. After six games, the Reds are 8th on the table and their title hopes are fading away quickly. As for Salah, he has 2 goals and 2 assists in six league appearances. Since he’s one of the biggest stars missing the 2022 World Cup, might as well follow the Premier League if you support Egypt or Salah. Check out 888sport for all the betting markets involving Liverpool and their main man.

Zlatan Ibrahimovich – Disappointing international ending for the legendary striker

Zlatan has been one of the biggest names in world football for the past 20 years. The Swedish striker missed nearly 60 games for Milan between the 2019/2020 and 2021/2022 seasons. And we’re not counting his knee surgeries. Ibrahimovich received a contract extension in the summer which will keep him with the Italian champions but he’s on recovery until mid-January at least. The other thing is, Sweden missed the World Cup qualification. So, there couldn’t have been any possible scenario where we see Zlatan in Qatar.

Sweden was knocked out by Poland in the UEFA Path B final. The match was already half a year ago and Ibrahimovich was only brought on in the last 10 minutes. By that time, the Swedish were already down by two goals. It is now extremely unlikely that we will ever see Zlatan playing in another international competition. You could support the 41-year-old legendary striker by taking a look at Milan’s Serie A chances at the online sportsbook sites in the UK.

Luis Diaz will not Prove Himself with Colombia in Qatar

The Colombian’s quick rise to football stardom has been very impressive. Diaz improved a lot since he joined Porto in 2019. His move to Liverpool in 2022 only sped things up. Ever since he joined the Reds in January, Diaz has been a key player on his team. The forward has 3 goals in 6 league appearances so far this season. And while Liverpool performed great last year, they missed out on both the UCL and Premier League titles. Diaz hasn’t been successful with his country either.

Colombia finished 6th during the World Cup qualifiers. They missed out by one point only, which would’ve sent them to the intercontinental playoffs. Out of 18 matches, Diaz and co only won 5 and drew 8 times. This gave Peru the chance to make it into the World Cup finals but they were eventually eliminated by Australia. So Diaz is another one of the biggest stars to miss the 2022 World Cup. If you want to follow his career, check out 888sport for betting markets on Liverpool and the Colombian forward.

Italy’s Talent Will be Absent From the World Cup Once Again

The Italians missed the 2018 tournament and will be at home in 2022 too. North Macedonia came up with one of the most impressive upsets of all time when they eliminated Italy in the UEFA playoffs. This means we won’t be seeing the likes of Verratti, Barella, Bastoni, Donnarumma, Jorginho, and more. Italy’s absence doesn’t bode well with its star players’ achievements. Despite having one of the most talented players in the world, some of them have only participated in one or no World Cup events.

At least the country performed well in the Nations League. By finishing 1st in Group A, they earned a spot in the finals set for next year. It’s a grim day for fans of football, but hopefully, Italy’s generational talent will get another chance to show what they got at the next tournament. Until then, it’s best to follow the online sportsbook news in the UK.

The List of the Biggest Stars Missing the 2022 World Cup is Never-Ending

So many great players will be at home during the World Cup. We could put together at least two starting elevens that could make a good run at the finals in Qatar. Another star missing the 2022 World Cup is Martin Odegaard, the young captain of Arsenal and Norway. The 23-year-old is one of the most promising players in the world but he will have plenty of other chances to shine at future events.

Franck Kessie’s talents will also be absent from the tournament. The midfielder had a great run with Milan last season and the future is bright for him at Barcelona too. Regardless of his remarkable club performances, Ivory Coast couldn’t qualify for the tournament. The final group stage game against Cameroon sealed their fate. We could keep this list going forever but these are the biggest stars missing the 2022 World Cup in our opinion.

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