The ultimate goal for any athlete in any sport is to represent your nation in a World Cup. And on November 20, the greatest football players will compete against one another in this historic World Cup to bring the greatest honor to their teams. However, some players won’t participate in the highlight event beginning on Sunday since they’ve lost the managers’ favor.
Here is the list of top players who were omitted from World Cup teams:
Anthony Martial: France
The defending champion France has chosen to not include the talented attacker Anthony Martial. When France won the World Cup in Moscow in 2018, the Manchester United forward was also absent. Despite recently returning to full fitness in the English Premier League due to injuries that have plagued him for the past 12 months, Didier Deschamps has chosen to bench Martial.
Mats Hummels: Germany
When Germany decided not to bring defender Mats Hummels with them to Qatar, some people were startled. Despite Hummels’ excellent performance for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, manager Hansi Flick decided not to give him a berth in the team. Germany is supporting younger players, just like many other teams, and Hummels, at 33, might be nearing the end of his international playing days.
Paul Pogba: France
The midfielder hasn’t played a minute for Juventus since joining Manchester United, and it’s unlikely that he will until after the World Cup. The season-long absence of Pogba due to knee surgery will significantly reduce France’s chances of winning the World Cup again.
Ivan Toney: England
Ivan Toney of Brentford unexpectedly didn’t make Gareth Southgate’s team. Toney has been in fantastic shape, and last weekend he even made a statement by scoring twice against Premier League champion Manchester City to earn three points for his team. In an apparent jab at being passed over for the World Cup in Qatar, he celebrated by pressing his fingers against his ears.
Roberto Firmino: Brazil
Brazil’s team for the competition was notable for not including Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, despite his international experience and a great start to the season at Anfield. Alisson and Fabinho, who are club teammates, will participate in the Selecao’s challenge in Qatar, but Firmino will watch from home because he was left out of Tite’s plans.
Only Neymar and Gabriel Jesus among the Brazilian team for the tournament have more goals scored than Firmino’s 17 in 55 appearances for the national team. The 31-year-old has been in excellent form for Liverpool and has seven goals this season to lead the Reds in Premier League scoring.
Despite having a goal or an assist per 93 minutes in the Premier League and having more league goals this season than Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison combined, he has struggled to get a starting spot at center-forward.
Pedro has only received two caps for Flamengo, but Tite has still included him in his plans. The 25-year-old scored 29 goals across all competitions for the Brazilian team in 2022, finishing as the Copa Libertadores’ top scorer.
David de Gea: Spain
Although Spain may have several options, David de Gea of Manchester United is too talented a goalkeeper to not compete in the FIFA World Cup. Although stunning, the Manchester United goalkeeper’s absence was anticipated because he didn’t make Spain’s preliminary 55-man roster, which was announced a few weeks ago.
Three goalkeepers younger than David de Gea was chosen by manager Luis Enrique to represent Spain in a different way than de Gea. While the United goalkeeper’s career may not be over, a World Cup ban might make it more difficult for de Gea to rejoin the Spain squad.
Moussa Diaby: France
With the list of players Didier Deschamps left out of his plans, France has what is undoubtedly the strongest team in the competition. Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kante, and Paul Pogba are all out due to injuries, and huge names like Ferland Mendy, Wissam Ben Yedder, who has 32 goals for Monaco last season across all competitions, and Moussa Diaby were passed over.
The latter, who has become one of the most intriguing players in the Bundesliga, may feel regret for not being chosen. In 32 league games for Bayer Leverkusen last season, the 23-year-old had a direct hand in 25 goals, and he has started the current season in a similarly remarkable fashion.
He had six goals and three assists in the league for Leverkusen this year, but he was unable to beat out players like Marcus Thuram, Kingsley Coman, Ousmane Dembele, and Christopher Nkunku for a spot on the world champions’ team.
Thiago Alcantara: Spain
Thiago Alcantara, a midfielder for Liverpool, is one of several seasoned players who will not be part of Spain’s roster for the tournament after Luis Enrique decided to exclude him.
Although Thiago has played a key role for Liverpool and has 46 caps for La Roja, he was not included in Spain’s final lineup due to the talented midfield that includes Sergio Busquets, Koke, Rodri, and Barcelona’s Pedri and Gavi. The 31-year-old participated in both of the most recent major competitions, but his absence from those events may be the end of his international career.
With only seven of Liverpool’s senior stars traveling to Qatar, he will be one of several club teammates watching the event from home. Alisson is one of them, while three others—Jordan Henderson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Ibrahima Konate—are not anticipated to have major roles. Given the extended mid-season rest given to some stars, the second half of the season at Anfield might be better as a result.
Jadon Sancho: England
The fact that Jadon Sancho’s departure from the England team made little news was a sign of his struggle for respect from both his club and his country. During a stellar era at Borussia Dortmund, Sancho was regarded as one of football’s most promising young players, but he hasn’t been able to match those performances since moving to the Premier League.
Since his highly anticipated £72.9 million arrival at Old Trafford, he has only scored eight goals and provided four assists in 52 games for Manchester United.
It should not be surprising that Sancho was left out of Gareth Southgate’s final selection because his inconsistency has cost him respect on the international stage. Competition for a spot in England’s plans is strong since there are so many attacking options available. Sancho needs to put in more effort for his club team if he hopes to regain his position in the Three Lions’ ambitions.
Sergio Ramos: Spain
Another player whose name has been left off the Spain roster is Sergio Ramos, who holds the record for most appearances for his country but will not be traveling to Qatar. Ramos was a surprise withdrawal from La Roja’s plans for Euro 2020 after being expected to captain the team. His absence put an end to his streak of appearing in ten straight international tournaments.
The 36-year-old has recovered from two seasons marred by injuries to play a significant role for Paris Saint-Germain this season, starting 12 league games for the French champions.
Ramos expressed his disappointment at missing the opportunity to play in a fifth World Cup in a letter to the fans after his return did not gain his selection at the tournament. Whether the 2010 World Cup champion will get the opportunity to add to his record 180 appearances for La Roja is currently unknown.
Read: Analysis: Whether FIFA made a significant mistake by scheduling the World Cup during the winter months
