FIFA 2018 has 32 countries who will be taking part in the World Cup in Russia. They now know who will be representing them. But there are many star players who were snubbed by their national teams, injured or failed to qualify, Newsweek noted.
For those who could have played for their country but will not, did they deserve to be on the team? Or was their country justified in snubbing them? We saw Wilshere tweeting, "It goes without saying that I'm naturally incredibly disappointed." Radja Nainggolan claimed Roberto Martinez was "looking for a reason" not to include him, according to Kwese ESPN.
In this article, I examine some of the other reactions and reasons for being left out of the FIFA 2018 World Cup.
FIFA 2018 players watching from home
26-year old Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno had a decent season for his club, managing nine clean sheets in the process. He even fitted in Germany’s sweeper-keeper preference with a 68 percent pass accuracy in the 2017/18 season, according to Squawka. Manuel Neuer’s timely recovery from a foot injury and Marc-Andre ter Stegen's sterling form for Barcelona locked out Leno, with PSG keeper Kevin Trapp being the preferred third choice for Germany. Leno expressed his disappointment at being left out despite working hard in training but pledged his support for the German team in Russia.
While Joe Hart's club form was nothing short of horrifying, his experience in major tournaments would have been a plus for the Three Lions in Russia. Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, and Jack Butland - Gareth Southgate’s choices for the World Cup have never taken part in any major tournament before, Marc Schwarzer suggested to Sky Sports.
Spain’s wealth of defensive talent meant some were going to be unlucky and take part in the World Cup as fans. Sergio Roberto, Hector Bellerin, and Marc Bartra were some of the casualties as their club form counted for nothing in the end. With options such as Dani Carvajal, Cesar Azpilicueta, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique among others, it is unlikely Spain will miss the trio.
Soccer players that could have made an impact
Marcos Alonso was another casualty of the talent at Spain’s disposal, according to ESPN. Despite being the top scoring defender in the English Premier League, he could not make the cut for La Roja. His lack of experience on the international stage could have been his undoing.
When the Belgium World Cup provisional squad was announced, Belgium fans signed a petition to have Radja Nainggolan included on the list. His difficult relationship with Belgium manager Roberto Martinez seems to have cost him a place in the squad. Moments after the final 23-man Belgium squad was announced, Nainggolan announced his retirement from international football.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere didn’t take kindly to being left out of the England World Cup squad.
He said he felt his fitness and sharpness for the club should have guaranteed a place in the national team and his contribution would have had an impact. Wilshere said that he had no choice but to respect the manager’s decision and vowed to cheer on the England team, Eurosport noted.
An injustice for some soccer stars
Leroy Sane was perhaps the biggest 2018 World Cup omission, having been an integral part of Manchester City’s title-winning season. Joachim Low, however, defended picking Julian Brandt over Sane, saying '“That was a very close decision between him [Sané] and Julian Brandt,” said the head coach," according to The Guardian. Sane took to Twitter to express his disappointment and vowed to bounce back from the setback even stronger.
France’s attacking talent however only had space for regular starters at club level. PSG teenage sensation Kylian Mbappé, Nabil Fakir, Olivier Giroud, Ousmane Dembele, Florian Thauvin and Antoine Griezmann were all preferred to Anthony Martial. The young attacking talent endured a patchy season for Manchester United but exhibited brilliance whenever he got an opportunity.
Despite finishing as the top scorer in the Serie A, Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli still preferred the inconsistent Gonzalo Higuain to Mauro Icardi. The Inter Milan player scored 29 goals for the club in the concluded season. Icardi’s wife didn’t take the news of omission lightly, terming it an "injustice" to the player. She told an Argentinian radio station that Icardi would, however, patiently wait for his chance to shine for his country.
