Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland Included: The 7 Best Players Who Will Be Absent From World Cup 2022
With only 32 teams competing for the upcoming Qatar world cup, many more are set to miss the performance on the international stage. That means some of the world’s greatest players will be missing out on the greatest chance to showcase what they do best. Here’s a look at the seven best players who will, unfortunately, miss the chance to showcase their talent in Qatar, including popular names like Neymar, Mohammed Salah, Erling Haaland and others.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is a fan favorite when it comes to betting on EPL at the Betway online sportsbook. The Manchester City free-scoring striker won’t be able to play on the international stage after his Norway team finished third behind Turkey and Netherlands in the UEFA qualifying round.
Haaland recorded five goals in the ten qualifying games, making it 21 goals in 23 matches for Norway. However, he won’t have the chance to add to his tally in Qatar.
Mohamed Salah
Africa’s seemingly unfair qualifying process has closed out a number of top teams and star players from showcasing their talent in Qatar. For those who bet on the World Cup with Betway, Egypt’s Mohammed Salah will be among the greatest names in the continent to miss this international competition. The Liverpool man missed a penalty during the playoff shootout when they lost to Senegal.
Luiz Diaz
Another Liverpool player, Luiz Diaz, will watch the tournament from home after Colombia missed a place in the CONMEBOL playoff by one point to Peru. The demanding 18-match process saw him contribute three goals to his nation’s efforts, but he won’t be participating in Qatar after a decisive 1–0 home loss to the Peruvians.
David Alaba
It might be surprising that Austria won’t compete in the World Cup this year, considering they haven’t competed on the international stage since 1988. However, their squad has witnessed a significant upturn in recent years thanks to players like David Alaba. Unfortunately, the highly decorated Real Madrid couldn’t do much to prevent his country from losing the playoff semi-final to Wales.
Martin Odegaard
Odegaard is another Norwegian player who won’t be playing this year in Qatar. The Arsenal playmaker was handed the captain’s band for his nation in 2021 but won’t be making an appearance on the international stage after his team failed to qualify.
Franck Kessie
From helping AC Milan rise to the top in the Serie A to earning a spot in Barcelona, Franck Kessie would have been pretty impressive in the 2022 Qatar world cup. Sadly, the Ivorian won’t participate in Qatar after the flawed CAF qualification eliminated Ivory Coast during the second-round group stage.
Victor Osimhen
The recent focus on Nigeria’s football has mainly focused on their amazing kits, but the Super Eagles have also managed to assemble a super-talented team spearheaded by Napoli star Victor Osimhen. However, their poor AFCON performance saw them lose the world cup spot to Ghana, with Osimhen only recording four goals in the group stage round.