Players To Miss The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Part Two)
The World Cup is the biggest showcase in the soccer space. It is expected that the tournament will see superstars and aspiring players trying to register incredible individual performances while helping their nations reach new heights. However, some of the biggest stars will not suit up at this year’s event in Qatar happening in the latter days of November. Nitrobetting covers the second part of the players to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup below.
Players To Miss The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Part Two)
???? @ErlingHaaland redefining Man City pic.twitter.com/iuHUPczpOh
— Premier League (@premierleague) October 22, 2022
READ MORE: Players To Miss The 2022 FIFA World Cup (Part One)
Erling Haaland (Norway)
One of the hottest commodities in the sport right now, Erling Haaland, will have to wait for his World Cup debut. The Norwegian goal machine made his first international appearance at the age of 19 and has found the back of the net 21 times in 23 games. These are incredible numbers for such a young talent. However, the world’s best young striker only managed five goals during the qualifiers, collecting 18 points from ten qualification matches. Norway eventually finished behind the +200 Group A favorites Netherlands. With time on his side, he will have plenty of opportunities to make up for missing the 22nd edition of the competition.
Paul Pogba (France)
Defending champions France and -278 Group D winners take a hit after star midfielder Paul Pogba was ruled out of the tournament. The Juventus player endures right knee problems and is yet to play a game this season since his last official appearance in April. The 29-year-old played a crucial role in their 2018 FIFA World Cup campaign. After returning to his previous club Manchester United in the offseason, Pogba tore his meniscus in a preseason tour of the United States in July. He initially turned down surgery, but then pushed through with the operation on his right knee a few months ago.
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
It’s a shame to see the UEFA Euro 2020 winners out of the picture. The Italians had a rough qualifying run and failed to secure a spot in Qatar. With that, one of the best goalkeepers in the world will have to watch from the sidelines. Donnarumma was the player of the tournament in their 2020 UEFA Euro run, but he was unable to contain Aleksandar Trajkovski’s late winner in the playoffs last March. Italy also failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which makes this their second consecutive absence from the competition. The heir to the great Gianluigi Buffon will have to wait another four years before getting his chance despite recording 49 caps for his nation at 23 years old.
Diogo Jota (Portugal)
The teammate of +1,400 top goalscorer favorite Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, is among the list of players to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Although Portugal stands strong as -164 favorites to top Group H, it’ll be tougher with the Liverpool cornerstone. It was recently confirmed that the 25-year-old will sit out the tournament with a calf injury he picked up against a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in October. He had already missed the first month of the season due to another injury, and Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp announced that Jota needs a few more months of recovery time to return to fitness level.
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