Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema, and Mohamed Salah in focus as we look at the unlucky players 11 to miss the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is underway, and we are almost into the Knock-out stage of the tournament. While we are enjoying seeing our favorite players perform for their countries, there are many who have not been able to play in this World Cup.
Given that this is the first time the World Cup is scheduled in an Arab country, the heat in Qatar has forced the World Cup to be scheduled mid-season. This is one of the main reasons why a lot of players are missing the World Cup due to injuries.
Talking about the teams, Italy missing out is the biggest upset of all. This is considering the fact that they were the Euro 2020 champions as well. Apart from Italy, Sweden, Columbia, and Egypt among many others teams also missed the qualification for 2022.
Teams aside, the World Cup will see a lot of star players who would miss the World Cup due to unfortunate reasons. So, in this article, we take a look at 11 such players who would form the unlucky players 11 to miss the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Missing Best 11 Players for FIFA World Cup 2022:
Goalkeeper:
Gianluigi Donnarumma – Italy
Gianluigi Donnarumma was the hero in EURO 2020 when he dived to his left to save the penalty in the sudden death to secure Italy’s second European Championship. He has conceded just 8 goals and kept 9 clean sheets in 15 matches in the Ligue 1 2022/2023 season. This along with a Save% of 83.3% in the domestic league makes him one of the best (if not the best) goalkeepers to miss this World Cup.
Defenders:
Reece James – England
Reece James is missing out on this World Cup due to an injury. He has been a key player for Chelsea this season and the previous season. He has a 50% clean sheet record in the EPL with Chelsea this season. James is not just an effective defender, but he also makes contributions to the team by playing forward.
David Alaba – Austria
This 30-year-old defender from Austria is a pivotal part of Real Madrid, playing both Central and Left defence for the team. David has 5 Clean sheets in 15 games for Austria last year, and was a key member of the Austrian team. With 3 assists in 14 games this season for Real Madrid, he will definitely be missed at this World Cup since Austria could not qualify this time.
Andrew Robertson – Scotland
The 28-year-old, Andrew Robertson is among the key defenders in the Liverpool and Scotland squads. He plays on the right wing and contributes to his team by playing forward. With 10 assists and 3 goals in 29 games in EPL last season along with 17 clean sheets (59%), he would have been one of the must-watch defenders in the World Cup if Scotland had qualified.
Midfielders :
Mohamed Salah – Egypt
Mohammed Salah at 30 is one star player that the whole world wanted to see playing at this World Cup. However, Egypt were unable to Qualify as Salah missed his penalty against Senegal in the decider game. In 86 games for Club and Country since 2021, he has scored 50 goals and assisted 21 times.
Jorginho – Italy
Jorginho plays as a defensive midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker, also known as a regista in Italian football. He won the UEFA Best player in Europe in 2021 and was also the Best midfielder in the EURO 2020. While he doesn’t score much, he is excellent at controlling the midfield and distributing the ball to the team.
Marco Reus – Germany
Marco Rues at 33 is one of the key players in the German team, but is missing this World Cup due to an ankle injury. In 61 games for Club and Country since 2021, he has scored 19 goals and assisted 24 times for his teams. Germany are definitely missing his contributions in this world cup, and the viewers would have loved to see him play and help Germany win.
N’Golo Kante – France
Kante, who played a pivotal role in Les Bleus’ winning campaign in 2018, is missing this World Cup due to a Hamstring injury. He played the complete 90 minutes in all games in the 2018 World Cup (except the final) and was a key part of the France midfield that won the World Cup last time. France would definitely miss him even as France have a big squad to cover for his absence.
Sadio Mane – Senegal
Sadio Mane is 30 yrs old and has been able to take his team to the World Cup beating Egypt in the decider. However, given his injury in November, he could not play for Senegal at the World Cup this year. In 86 games for Club and Country since 2021, he has scored 43 goals and assisted 9 times. Senegal are currently doing well, and Sadio Mane would have only added to their performance at this World Cup.
Forwards :
Erling Haaland – Norway
Erling Haaland is one of the top strikers in the world and has been phenomenal for both Manchester City and Norway. In 24 games for Club and Country in 2022, he has scored 29 goals and assisted 4 times.
Haaland has scored 18 goals in 13 EPL games and took the League head-on. The world is comparing him to Messi & CR7, and it’s a shame that viewers can’t see him play in this World Cup.
Karim Benzema – France
Karim Benzema has been playing his best Football in the last couple of years. He has been a key part of both Real Madrid and France. In 24 games for Club and Country since 2021, he has scored 56 goals and assisted 17 times.
He scored 4 goals in 4 games in the 2020 Euros where France were knocked out in the Round of 16. He won the Ballon d’Or this year, and it is unfortunate that his injury won’t allow him to play this World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2022 – Unlucky Players 11 to Miss the Tournament:
Gianluigi Donnarumma (gk), Reece James (d), David Alaba (d), Andrew Robertson (d), Mohamed Salah (m), Jorginho (m), Marco Reus (m), N’Golo Kante (m), Erling Haaland (f), Karim Benzema (f)
Other Notable players missing the World Cup :
A few other top players who are missing this World Cup are: Sergio Ramos (Spain), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Nicolò Barella (Italy), Ben Chilwell (England), Luis Diaz (Columbia), Presnel Kimpembe (France), Paul Pogba (France), Christopher Nkunku (France), Federico Chiesa (Italy), Giovani Lo Celso (Argentina), Martin Ødegaard (Norway), Mykhailo Mudryk (Ukraine), Timo Werner (Germany), Jan Oblak (Slovenia), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Thanks for reading! Who do you miss at the FIFA World Cup 2022? Please email your thoughts to footbalyticsofficial@gmail.com
ALSO READ: FIFA World Cup 2022: Round of 16 Qualification Scenario for all Teams
Ayush is an author at Footbalytics. He is an avid football fan. He loves to play and follow the sport, and has been following club football since 2005, and has been playing the fantasy premier league for over 10 years.
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