The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar is around the corner, and the world is preparing to witness various talents at the tournament. Fans are set to miss some promising and notable talents for the event.
The following are some of the talents set to be missed in the world cup. Here are some of the big names that will miss the tournament:
Erling Haaland (Norway)
The Norwegian is regarded as one of the most promising players in the world. Erling Haaland has proved his critics wrong by always being on top of his game with his continuous scoring capabilities. At 22, his move from Molde, Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City is one of the most ridiculous moves in just 5 years. He becomes a prolific striker whenever he sets foot into a new challenge. He is currently the top score in the English Premier League with 17 goals in just 11 appearances. Norway was eliminated after losing 2-0 in the qualifiers for the World Cup to the Netherlands. So sad that he will probably wait until the 2026 world cup to showcase his capability.
David De Gea (Spain)
David de Gea is a Spanish keeper who plies his trade with Manchester united. He has been the most consistent player for Manchester united for almost 10 years. With Iker Casillas retirement imminent, he was the most favourable to step in goal for the Spanish national team. Since Luis Enrique took over as the head coach, it has been hell for David de Gea as the Spanish tactician prefers Unai Simon as his number-one keeper, probably because Unai Simon is more of a goal player, which is the modern style of play for most goalkeepers while David de Gea is a typical goalkeeper. David de Gea has not even been included in the 55-man provisional squad for Spain for the upcoming world cup.
N’Golo Kanté (France)
Being regarded among the humble guys on the pitch, N’Golo Kanté would rather put aside his humility when it comes to serious business in matters of football. He has proved that while playing for Leicester City, helping them win the premier league in the debut season in the premier league. He also won the premier league and the champions league trophy with Chelsea, not forgetting the world cup trophy in Russia. The star was the most influential player for France in the midfield, which probably led to their success during the tournament in Russia. He is currently recovering from hamstring surgery.
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
Italy’s 1-0 loss to North Macedonia was probably the bizarre result of the 2022 world cup qualification. This probably denied Giorgio Chiellini a chance to grace the competition for the last time, considering his age. The former Juventus defender admitted that he was “crushed” by his nation’s failure to play in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Italy is the reigning UEFA European champions. Despite his age, he is regarded as the most composed player while facing those prolific strikers.
Paul Pogba (France)
Since joining Juventus after his second spell at Manchester United, Paul Pogba has had a difficult time with injuries. He has not played for Juventus since the start of the season with a knee problem. The injury has sidelined him for so long, and it was recently confirmed that he would not make it to Qatar as earlier thought because he is yet to recover in time for the world cup. This is a huge blow for France as he was one of the most influential players during the 2018 world cup triumph in Russia.
Other players set to miss the event are; Kyle Walker, Victor Osimhen, Recee James, Romelo Lukaku, Arthur Melo, Diogo Jota, Ronald Araujo and Mohamed Salah.
Article by Michael Omondi
Email: michaelomondi@upeohubdigital.co.ke
