The FIFA world cup kicks off in 2 days, but sadly, some big-name players will be missing after being left out by their managers.
Qatar plays host to one of the biggest sporting events around the globe, and national team coaches have released the list of players they feel will help them compete effectively at the football fiesta.
BattaBox.com highlights some of the big names players missing from their squad.
10. David De Gea
Manchester United goalkeeper, David De Gea has been left out of the Spanish national team selection.
Coach Luis Enrique prefers Unai Simon of Athletic Bilbao, Robert Sanchez (Brighton), and David Raya (Brentford).
READ ALSO: Mane out of the World Cup
9. Fikayo Tomori
Former Chelsea defender, Fikayo Tomori was not deemed good enough by Gareth Southgate to be a part of his train to Qatar.
Although England has established defenders like Eric Dier and John Stones, some would argue that Tomori deserves a place in the team ahead of Harry Maguire and Ben White.
However, Southgate does not seem to have any place for Tomori, who plies his trade in Italy with Serie A giants, AC Milan.
8. Sergio Ramos
The veteran defender has been a shadow of himself since swapping the Bernabeu for Parc de Prince.
The 37-year-old would have been a great addition to the Spanish side because of his experience and calming influence.
He could also be trusted to mentor younger defenders like Eric Garcia and Pau Torres.
However, coach Luis Enrique calls the shot, and he has made his decision to leave out Ramos.
7. Thiago Alcantara
The Liverpool midfield maestro has had highs and lows in the seasons leading to the world cup.
He showed flashes of the damage he could cause in a league game against Manchester United last season.
However, injuries have hampered his performances, and he has fallen down the pecking order in the Spanish national side.
READ ALSO: Nkunku out of the World Cup
6. James Ward-Prowse
When it comes to setpieces, leave it for James Ward-Prowse, because he has made a name for himself.
Ward-Prowse has scored 14 direct freekicks in the EPL, just 4 shy of the record held by David Beckham (18).
Despite all of his brilliance from dead-ball situations, again Gareth Southgate overlooked the Englishman.
Maybe the likes of skipper, Harry Kane, and Liverpool’s defender, Alexandra Arnold can come to England’s rescue when the need arises.
5. Marcos Alonso
Former Chelsea defender, Marcos Alonso, who recently moved to Nou Camp, might feel hard done for not making the cut for the Spanish side.
Alonso is versatile, has slotted in well at centre-back for Barcelona, and is deadly from setpieces.
However, Luis Enrique has decided to keep faith in Jordi Alba and Jose Gaya.
4. Jadon Sancho
The 21-year-old has not replicated the form which convinced Manchester United to splash £73 million to get his signature.
His spot-kick miss in the penalty shootout defeat to Italy at Euro 2021 final has continued to haunt him, and he’s not been able to shake it off like his Arsenal counterpart, Bukayo Saka.
3. Roberto Firmino
Liverpool striker, Bobby Firmino is another big-name player who will not be participating at the world cup in Qatar.
Firmino might not guarantee you plenty of goals, but the Brazilian brings a lot to the team with his linkup play.
Sadly, he doesn’t get a lot of credit for his hard work on the field of play.
His 7 goals in 13 league games this season wasn’t considered good enough by coach Tite.
READ ALSO: Ronaldo was close to joining Manchester City
2. Tammy Abraham
Roma coach, Jose Mourinho’s faith in his star striker has seen Abraham notch up many goals in Serie A.
Last season, his 17 goals was enough to set a new record for the most goals scored by an Englishman in a single Serie A season.
Still, the former Chelsea player has not found favour with England manager, Gareth Southgate.
Gareth justified Abraham’s exclusion by saying, “Tammy’s had a poor run of scoring form at the wrong time. And it’s not a case of that we are three or four weeks away from a finals and the start of the first match. We are now ten days away, so form could be more important.”
1. Ivan Toney
Brentford striker, Ivan Toney has set the English Premier League on fire after earning promotion from the Championship with the Bees.
Toney’s pace, strength, and determination have seen him notch up plenty of goals, including a hat trick against Manchester City in the last league game before the world cup.
Despite his 10 goals so far this season, the England gaffer has left him out of the squad.
English football FA chief, recently revealed that the 26-year-old was not selected based on “footballing grounds.”
Final Thoughts
All the national team coaches have made their decisions and gone with squads they believe would get the job done.
Will they regret leaving out some of these big names? Only time will tell.
