With less than two months to the biggest soccer fiesta, the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, there are a number of big players that won’t make it to the tournament due to the inability of their country to qualify. Here is a look at 20 of the biggest stars that will be missing in action come November 20, 2022.
Big Players That Would Miss Qatar World Cup 2022
1. Earling Haaland (Norway)
Profile Summary of Haaland
- Full Name: Earling Braut Haaland
- Date of Birth: July 21, 2000
- Age: 24 years old
- Current Club: Manchester City F.C
- International Career (Years): 5
Earling Haaland one of the youngest and biggest stars in the world of football will not play in Qatar 2022 World Cup after Norway failed to qualify despite his 5 goals in 3 World Cup qualification matches. His country finished third in their group with the Netherlands and Turkey as first and second, respectively.
2. Marco Verratti (Italy)
Profile Summary of Verratti
- Full Name: Marco Verratti
- Date of Birth: November 5, 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- International Career (Years): 12
32-year-old Italian midfield maestro, Marco Verrat will miss the action in Qatar. His country, Italy was unable to qualify for the football Mundial after
two draws against Switzerland, a goalless draw against Northern Ireland, and a loss to North Macedonia in the Playoffs.
3. Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
Profile Summary of Salah
- Full Name: Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahrous Ghaly
- Date of Birth: June 15, 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Current Club: Liverpool F.C
- International Career (Years): 13
Mohamed Salah, popularly known as “Mo Salah” is one of the finest finishers in the world of soccer, but he won’t be part of the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar following the failure of Egypt to qualify for the tournament. He could have won it for the Pharaohs, but he failed to convert from the spot during the penalty shootout against Senegal in the qualifying playoffs.
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Profile Summary of Aubameyang
- Full Name: Pierre-Emerick Emiliano Francois Aubameyang
- Date of Birth: June 18, 1989
- Age: 35 years old
- Current Club: Chelsea F.C
- International Career (Years): 2009-2022
The former Arsenal and Gabonese striker won’t be at the Qatar 2022 FIFA following Gabon’s failure to earn qualification. In addition, he retired from international football after 13 years in which he made 72 appearances and scored 30 goals for his country.
5. David Alaba (Austria)
Profile Summary of Alaba
- Full Name: David Olatukunbo Alaba
- Date of Birth: June 24, 1992
- Age: 32 years old
- Current Club: Real Madrid
- International Career (Years): 15
32 years old Austrian defender, David Alaba is one of the big players that will not feature in the November 20, 2022, FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Austria failed to qualify
after losing 2-1 to Wales in the playoff semi-final.
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovich (Sweden)
Profile Summary of Ibrahimovich
- Full Name: Zlatan Ibrahimovich
- Date of Birth: October 3, 1981
- Age:43 years old
- Current Club: Ac Milan
- International Career (Years): 24 years old
Ibrahimovic, one of the best strikers in football history with over 500 career goals will not be part of the action in Qatar. His country, Sweden failed to earn qualification when they lost 0-2 to Sweden in the qualifying play-off final on March 29, 2022.
7. Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
Profile Summary of Sanchez
- Full Name: Alexis Alejandro Sanchez Sanchez
- Date of Birth: December 19, 1988
- Age: 36 years old
- Current Club: Marseille
- International Career (Years): 19
Former Barcelona, Arsenal, and Manchester United forward, Alexis Sanchez won’t play at the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar after Chile failed to earn a spot in the 32 countries that will compete for football’s most prized silverware. His country finished 5th in the qualifiers, and went ahead to file an appeal challenging Ecuador who finished in 4th place for using an ineligible player. However, chile lost the bid to replace its neighbor.
8. Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Profile Summary of Mahrez
- Full Name: Riyad Karim Mahrez
- Date of Birth: February 21, 1991
- Age: 34 years old
- Current Club: Machester City F.C
- International Career (Years): 11
34-year-old French-born Algerian winger, Riyad Mahrez is one of the stars whose talent and quality will be missed in Qatar. His country, Algeria had a poor outing during the World Cup Qualifying matches and failed to earn a qualification.
9. Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Profile Summary of Donnarumma
- Full Name: Gianluigi Donnarumma
- Date of Birth: February 25, 1999
- Age: 26 years old
- Current Club: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
- International Career (Years): 8
Despite being one of the standout stars of Euro 2020, Italy’s goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma will miss the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar following his country’s failure to book a qualification.
10. Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Profile Summary of Dzeko
- Full Name: Edin Dzeko
- Date of Birth: March 17, 1986
- Age: 39 years old
- Current Club: Inter Milan
- International Career (Years): 18
39-year-old captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team is not going to Qatar. His country was defeated 1-3 by Finland in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers. Moreover, he didn’t play the match
due to an injury.
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11. Martin Odegaard (Norway)
Profile Summary of Odegaard
- Full Name: Martin Odegaard
- Date of Birth: December 17, 1998
- Age: 26 years old
- Current Club: Arsenal
- International Career (Years): 10
Attacking Midfielder and captain of both Arsenal and Norway national team, Martin Odegaard joins the like of his fellow compatriot, Earling Haaland as bigs names that would miss the World Cup action in Qatar come November 20, 2022. As mentioned earlier, Norway failed to qualify.
12. Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
Profile Summary of Chiellini
- Full Name: Giorgio Chiellini
- Date of Birth: August 14, 1984
- Age: 40 years old
- Current Club: Los Angeles F.C
- International Career (Years): 2004-2022
There was every possibility that 40-year-old Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini wouldn’t have retired in April 2022 if his country had qualified for Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. This came after he captained Italy to its second-ever European title after beating England 3-2 in a penalty shootout to win the Euro 2020.
13. Luis Diaz (Colombia)
Profile Summary of Diaz
- Full Name: Luis FernandoDiaz Marulanda
- Date of Birth: January 13, 1997
- Age: 28 years old
- Current Club: Liverpool F.C
- International Career (Years): 6
Colombian winger, Luis Diaz, a promising talent will miss Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup due to the inability of his country to secure qualification to the competition. Colombia played seven qualifiers without scoring a single goal, and a winner over Bolivia and Venezuela didn’t help.
14. Jorginho (Italy)
Profile Summary of Jorginho
- Full Name: Jorge Luiz Frello Filho
- Date of Birth: December 20, 1991
- Age: 33 year old
- Current Club: Chelsea F.C
- International Career (Years): 9
Just like Marco Verratti, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Giorgio Chiellini, Jorginho will also not go to Qatar 2022 after Italy fails to qualify, despite winning the Euro 2020.
15. Jan Oblak (Slovenia)
Profile Summary of Oblak
- Full Name: Jan Oblak
- Date of Birth: January 7, 1993
- Age: 32 years old
- Current Club: Atletico Madrid
- International Career (Years): 12
32-year-old Slovenian goalkeeper and captain of Slovenia national team, Jan Oblak won’t be at FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar after his country failed to earn a spot. Slovenia lost 1-2 to Russia in the last game of their group’s qualifying match in October 2021.
16. Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast)
Profile Summary of Haller
- Full Name: Sebastien Romain Teddy Haller
- Date of Birth: June 22, 1994
- Age: 30 years old
- Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
- International Career (Years): 4
Sebastien Haller, another great talent will miss out on the opportunity to showcase his football skills at the highest global soccer stage due to Ivory Coast’s inability to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Ivory Coast lost an important qualification match against Cameroon who qualified at their expense.
17. Lorenzo Isigne (Italy)
Profile Summary of Insigne
- Full Name: Lorenzo Insigne
- Date of Birth: June 4, 1991
- Age: 33 years old
- Current Club: Toronto F.C
- International Career (Years): 12
Former Napoli winger, Lorenzo Insigne is not part of the players of 32 countries that will compete in the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. His country didn’t qualify after losing to North Macedonia in the qualifying play-offs.
18. Arturo Vidal (Chile)
Profile Summary of Vidal
- Full Name: Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo
- Date of Birth: May 22, 1987
- Age: 38 years old
- Current Club: Flamengo
- International Career (Years): 18
38-year-old former Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Juventus midfielder, Arturo Vidal will miss the World Cup in Qatar after Chile failed to earn a spot in the 32 countries competing in the competition.
19. Patrick Schick (The Czech Republic)
Profile Summary of Schick
- Full Name: Patrick Schick
- Date of Birth: January 24, 1996
- Age: 29 years old
- Current Club: Bayer Leverkusen
- International Career (Years): 9
Patrick Schick, one of the players that shone in the Euro 2020, and was a joint-top scorer alongside Christiano Ronaldo is not going to Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup after the Czech Republic failed to win its reverse fixtures in the qualifying matches. They initially won against Scotland and Wales in the First Leg matches but didn’t capitalize on that during the return leg.
20. Miguel Almiron (Paraguay)
Profile Summary of Almiron
- Full Name: Miguel Angel Almiron Rejala
- Date of Birth: February 10, 1994
- Age: 31 years old
- Current Club: Newcastle United
- International Career (Years): 9
31-year-old Paraguayan attacking midfielder, Miguel Almiron will miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His country’s fate was already decided since the early stages of the qualifying matches before going on to play their last two games against Ecuador and Peru.
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