3 Premier League players who could secure a late 2022 FIFA World Cup spot with their national teams
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is expected to take place in Qatar from November 20 to December 18.
A total of 32 countries will be hoping to lay hold of the world's most glamorous trophy when the tournament officially kicks off.
Countries such as Brazil, Germany, Spain, England, France, Belgium, and Argentina have widely been tipped as favorites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
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A couple of world class players will be hoping to grab the headlines for the competition. Notable names include the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe amongst others will look to win the competition.
Meanwhile, for some other players, a place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup isn't yet guaranteed and will be hoping to seal a last-minute spot.
As such, let's take a look at three Premier League players who could secure a spot with their national teams.
#3 Gabriel Martinelli - Brazil
South American giants Brazil are among the top favorites to clinch this year's FIFA World Cup trophy.
The five-time winners of the competition currently boast one of the strongest squads on paper, with world class players in almost every position.
The head coach of the Seleção, Tite, would have a difficult time selecting his final squad list for the tournament. It's expected that a few top Brazilian players could miss out eventually due to the competitive nature of the team.
One position that could be keenly congested will be the attacking department for Brazil. This is because they are currently stacked-full with a handful of world-class attackers such as Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Richarlison, and more.
However, one Premier League player could possibly be a late inclusion for Tite's team is Arsenal starlet Gabriel Martinelli.
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The 21-year-old Brazilian winger is currently enjoying a decent 2022-23 football campaign with table-toppers Arsenal. Martinelli has so far scored four goals and registered two assists in nine Premier League games.
Haven been left out of Brazil's last two international games, Martinelli will be hoping that his recent form can earn him a place in Qatar.
#2 Kepa Arrizabalaga - Spain
Another player who could possibly be hoping to nail down a last-minute spot for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is Kepa Arrizabalaga.
The world's-most expensive (£72 million) shot-stopper was once a regular in the Spanish national team prior to his lack of game time at Chelsea.
Kepa even displaced long-term Spanish number one David de Gea from the national team at some point. This was during the 2019-20 football campaign, where he took part in the UEFA Euro Qualifiers for Spain.
However, opportunities with the national team stopped coming after he became the second-choice shot-stopper at Chelsea. This happened following Chelsea's signing of Edouard Mendy from Rennes in 2020.
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The goalkeeping position is one department where the Spanish national team possesses a handful of world-class options. Notable mentions include De Gea, Unai Simon, David Raya and Robert Sanchez, among others.
Kepa will be hoping that his recent resurgence under Graham Potter at Chelsea will be enough to earn him a return to the national team for the World Cup.
#1 James Maddison - England
Leicester City midfielder James Maddison is among a handful of top English players who have been continuously ignored by Three Lions head coach Gareth Southgate.
The highly rated midfielder barely gets called up to the England national team despite his impressive club form with Leicester City.
On the part of Southgate, the England manager has a pool of world-class midfielders to select from. He could possibly have a selection headache when picking his final World Cup squad in Qatar.
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Maddison could be one name who could force his way into the team this time around. He has been one of England's best performing midfielders during the ongoing 2022-23 Premier League campaign.
The 25-year-old player has scored a combined total of five goals and registered two assists for struggling Leicester City this season.