“It was one of those big dreams I wanted to realize” - PSG superstar Sergio Ramos breaks silence after failing to make it to Spain’s FIFA World Cup squad
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defender Sergio Ramos has admitted that it is hard to take missing out on Spain's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Ramos, 36, failed to make Luis Enrique's list of players who will head to Qatar to compete for the most illustrious trophy in international football.
The PSG centre-back has returned to full fitness this campaign from a long-term calf injury that saw him miss the majority of last season.
He has made 13 appearances across competitions, scoring two goals and helping PSG keep eight clean sheets.
Some had envisioned that Enrique would select Ramos due to his experience and know-how in international football.
The former Real Madrid captain has earned 180 international caps for Spain, scoring 23 goals, and has played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2018).
Ramos even won the competition with La Furia Roja in 2010, yet Enrique snubbed the PSG man.
The Spaniard has now commented on his omission from the squad that heads to Qatar, with a post on his Instagram account:
"Last season was tough, due to injuries and the adaptation to a new club and a different city. I worked in body and soul to recover and feel myself again, guided by the goals and illusions that one always sets and aims for."
"Fortunately I can say that this season I feel like myself again and I get to enjoy football, my club and a great city like Paris."
"The World Cup? Of course, it was one of those big dreams I had to fulfill. Would have been the 5th but unfortunately I'll have to watch it from my house."
"It's hard, but everyday the sun comes back up. Absolutely nothing will change about me. Neither my mentality nor my passion nor my constancy nor the effort and dedication of 24 hours thinking about football."
Spain manager Enrique explains why he snubbed PSG's Ramos and Thiago Alcantara for the FIFA World Cup
Ramos joins Liverpool midfield maestro Thiago Alcantara as two shock names to have missed out on the Spanish squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Thiago has been a prominent figure for Enrique's team over the years, earning 46 international caps, scoring two goals, and providing nine assists.
The Reds midfielder has managed just two appearances at the 2018 World Cup and missed the 2014 tournament through a ligament injury.
Enrique has now explained that the fitness of the duo was at the forefront of his mind when not selecting them in his squad.
He said:
"I know it’s a disappointment. They deserved to be here, but only 26 can be in the squad. If it were a normal World Cup, we would integrate the physical needs into the training, but halfway through the season we are not going to work on the physical level of a player."
Achraf Hakimi called Sergio Ramos the best defender in the world after he was omitted from Spain's World Cup squad ❤️ https://t.co/v9KYg0SxoY