5 best forwards who have been dropped from 2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is a trending topic in world sports at present, with the competition set to commence in days. As with a competition of its pedigree, the world's football stars are out in full force to defend their various countries.
National team managers have had enough time to select the players they think will have the greatest impact on the competition.
Only the best players in each position are selected to represent their countries at the FIFA World Cup. This is the case in the 2022 edition of the tournament, as the best players have been selected to play.
Goals win games, and the role of forwards in football is to produce goals for their teams. Most of the world's best forwards are in Qatar, where they will represent their countries at the tournament.
As is normal for every selection ahead of a major tournament, a number of big-name forwards have been dropped. Without further ado, here is a list of the five best forwards dropped from the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
#5 Moussa Diaby (France)
Bayer Leverkusen winger Moussa Diaby is one player whose exclusion from the French squad for the FIFA World Cup may come as a surprise to many. The 23-year-old wing wizard was overlooked by France manager Didier Deschamps for the tournament.
Diaby rose through the ranks at Paris Saint-Germain before switching to Bayer Leverkusen in search of regular game time in 2019.
The pacey winger has had an impressive start to the 2022-23 season with the German outfit. He has scored eight goals and contributed four assists in 22 appearances for his club across all competitions.
Diaby has already featured severally for Les Bleus in his career. The winger made his international debut in 2021 and has racked up a total of eight appearances. His last international appearance came in June 2022.
#4 Ivan Toney (England)
Brentford striker Ivan Toney was a surprise exclusion from England's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 26-year-old star was ignored by England manager Gareth Southgate, who preferred other strikers to him.
Toney has impressed for Brentford since their promotion to the Premier League last season. The former Newcastle United man is the spearhead of Brentford's impressive side in the league.
He already has 11 goals and three assists in 16 league and Cup games for the Bees this season. The decision to drop Toney for the FIFA World Cup by Southgate was a strange one, as agreed by most pundits in England.
The striker recently received a summons from the English FA over a breach of betting rules, and this may have contributed to his exclusion.
#3 Gérard Moreno (Spain)
Spain manager Luis Enrique's decision to go for a major tournament such as the FIFA World Cup with only one recognised striker is a strange one. The former Barcelona manager opted to drop Villarreal striker Gérard Moreno in favor of taking young wingers to the tournament.
Moreno has been one of La Liga's most consistent players outside of the players playing for the big three teams in the league.
The 30-year-old striker has struggled with injury at the start of this season, with only ten appearances to his name so far. He has, however, found the net five times in that span and registered an assist.
Spain have left some serious talent at home 😳 https://t.co/D1ysgAtgQQ
Prior to this period, Moreno was a regular for the Spanish national team under Enrique. The striker must have been hopeful of making the squad for the FIFA World Cup after appearing at Euro 2020 for La Roja. He has made 17 appearances for Spain, with five goals to his name.
#2 Wissam Ben Yedder (France)
AS Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder was also overlooked by France manager Didier Deschamps for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Monaco captain was a regular backup option for France, but was not considered for this tournament.
Ben Yedder has had an impressive campaign in front of goal for his club in his native France this season. The 32-year-old has scored ten goals and made two assists in 21 appearances for the principality club this season.
Wissam Ben Yedder (32) is "disappointed" to miss out on France's World Cup squad, according to Monaco manager Philippe Clement.
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Ben Yedder is a late bloomer and only made his international debut aged 27. He was on the bench throughout Euro 2020 and the 2021 UEFA Nations League finals. He has three goals in 19 appearances for Les Bleus.
#1 Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Roberto Firmino's exclusion from the Brazil squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was surprising because of his pedigree. The Liverpool star has been a regular for Seleçao in recent years, especially since joining the Premier League side.
Firmino has had an impressive season for Liverpool despite the arrival of Darwin Nunez as his competition. The 31-year-old has scored nine goals and contributed four assists in 21 appearances for the Reds across all competitions this season.
Firmino has featured 55 times for his country since making his international debut back in 2014. He has scored 17 goals in that time and has represented them in four major tournaments, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup.