5 biggest stars who will miss out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place at the end of the year and we expect it to be nothing short of a spectacle. The quadrennial tournament is a showcase for the biggest stars in the world of football as they battle with their national teams for the biggest prize in the game.
Several world-class players will miss out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Despite the World Cup being the biggest and most high-profile tournament in the world of football, we won't be seeing all our favorite stars there. That's because a horde of top stars have failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with their respective national teams.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the biggest stars who will miss out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
#5 Luis Diaz (Colombia)
Liverpool signed Luis Diaz from FC Porto in January 2022 on a deal worth €45 million plus add-ons. The Colombian winger has got off to a good start in England. He is an adventurous attacker blessed with great technique and is one of the rising stars in Europe.
Unfortunately for Diaz, he won't be part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Colombia failed to qualify for the intercontinental playoff. Peru beat Paraguay 2-0 on Wednesday night to finish fifth in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers.
The Incas will now face the winner of the game between Australia and UAE. Colombia and Luis Diaz's absence will be felt at the World Cup.
#4 Marco Verratti and Lorenzo Insigne (Italy)
Italy were dealt a shock defeat in their playoff semi-final by North Macedonia as they fell to a 92nd minute goal by Aleksandar Trajkovski. Consequently, the reigning European champions won't be a part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This is the second consecutive World Cup that the Azzurri will be missing out on.
As a result, some of the world's best players won't be present in the grandest sporting spectacle in the world for a second time running. Lorenzo Insigne and Marco Verratti are two world-class players.
Both played starring roles in Italy's Euro 2020 triumph. Insigne is one of the best left wingers in the world and Verratti is one of the finest midfielders of his generation. Both players will have crossed over to their 30s by the time the competition starts and it is not clear whether they will be around for the 2026 edition.
Marco Verratti has been on the losing end in each of his last five games for club and country whilst simultaneously being one of if not the best player on his team in all five.
This man needs help.
#3 Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
The truth is we can fill this entire article with Italian players and it would still be a disservice to the rest of the players on their squad that we leave out. But we've singled out Gianluigi Donnarumma because he was chosen as the 'Player of the Tournament' at Euro 2020.
Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and helped Italy win on penalties in the semi-finals and the final of the European championship. The 23-year-old is already a superstar in the world of football and he would have loved to leave his mark on the competition this time around.
He has already surpassed 300 appearances for both club and country at a very young age.
#2 Erling Haaland (Norway)
Erling Haaland is just 21 but has already established himself as one of the best strikers in the game. The Borussia Dortmund marksman is a phenomenal striker and is currently one of the most sought-after youngsters in the game.
Unfortunately, we won't be seeing him at the 2022 FIFA World Cup either. Norway's fate was sealed much earlier after finishing third in Group G below the Netherlands and Turkey. This would have been a great stage for Haaland to shine and he would likely have produced a moment of magic or two given just how good he is.
But we'll have to wait another four more years to have a chance of seeing Haaland on the biggest stage in football.
#1 Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Egypt might not be a big team that everyone is going to miss at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But their main man Mohamed Salah is one of the best footballers in the world right now. He has been in sensational form for Liverpool in the ongoing season and is playing some of the best football of his career.
However, Egypt were beaten by Senegal in the CAF World Cup qualifying final round on penalties. The Pharaohs fell to Senegal in identical fashion in the 2021 AFCON final. To make things worse this time around, Salah missed his penalty in the shootout on Wednesday.
The incident has come under a lot of scrutiny as lasers were visibly shone into Salah's eyes by Senegalese fans as he prepared to take his penalty.
Salah is one of the early favorites to go on and win the Ballon d'Or this year. As such, it's a pity that he won't be playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup when he is at the peak of his powers.
Mohamed Salah before his penalty miss against Senegal. https://t.co/szlmfxDJkN