No doubt the FIFA world cup is the biggest stage of football, as it provides the ultimate showcase of the best footballers in the globe, just as the tournament this year in Qatar has generated huge attention and the demands it will put on the various domestic leagues the world over has caused controversy after FIFA decision to have the soccer fiesta staged in Qatar (Middle East), in the middle of the 2022/2023 football league in European countries.
The world cup qualifiers have also proved to be a tough bridge to cross for several big football countries and players. However, there will also be some big countries missing out on the showpiece why some global superstars will not be in Qatar after failing to qualify.
Some of the counties that are missing in Qatar include four times winners Italy, Ukraine, Russia, Sweden, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Egypt, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Algeria, etc.
Italy will not be in Qatar after failing to qualify through the playoff, losing to North Macedonia, the four-time winners of the world cup and current European champions would have been a huge treat to participating teams in Qatar looking back at their performance in the previous world cup with their last title in Germany 2006.
Great players like Federico Chiesa who was instrumental to their Euro 2020 success, and other gifted players like Marco Verratti one of the world’s most colorful midfielders and featured for the Azzurri in the 2014 world cup in Brazil, defense stalwart Bunuchi, immobile, Jorginho, Insigne will be greatly missed in Qatar.
Next is Sweden, the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic would have given defenders a lot more to do if Sweden had qualified for the tournament, no thanks to the defeat handed them by Poland in the playoffs, leaving Zlatan and his boys out of the Mundial. Having missed out of Qatar the big striker considered one of the best in the world looking at his exploits for club and country will now consider international retirement.
They may not be a powerhouse in world football but let’s add Norway to the list of missing countries because they boast of some young prospects and one of Europe’s best Erling Haaland whose goal-scoring exploits have made him one of the best and most talked about player in Europe with Manchester City, Martin Odegaard of Arsenal who also established himself as a key player at Arsenal.
The talented Haaland already breaking records in his first season in England. The Norwegian now refers to as the quickest player in Premier League with his scoring prowess and despite netting five times for his country during the qualifiers it was not enough to see Norway qualify for Qatar as the Netherlands and Turkey pulled through group G.
The world would have stood still for Haaland in Qatar.
And from Africa come some big names missing from the world cup, they include west African giants Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and up north are Algeria and Egypt.
Nigeria will be greatly missed in Qatar by many including the organizers, Nigeria made its debut at the 1994 edition in the USA, going out in the second round to Italy but became the fifth best in the world by FIFA after the tournament, they followed it with two more appearances in France 1998, and Korea / Japan 2002 but fail to reach Germany 2006, and made a  return to the big stage on Africa soil in 2010, Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018.
Nigeria is yet to go beyond the second round at the world cup but they have produced some great talents like Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, Ahmed Musa, Mikel Obi and many others
The three times African champions suffered a stunning elimination at home in the hands of neighbors Ghana on away goal rule. The team would have proven a handful at the world cup in Qatar given the Arrays of young talents in the team which include current series A top scorer  Victor Osimhen of Napoli,  Atalanta forward and goal machine Ademola Lookman, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho are some of the big names who will not be in Qatar.
Algeria is the next big team from Africa missing out of the world cup in Qatar, no thanks to the outcome of their qualifier against Cameroon, it is the second successive time failing to reach the Mundial for the 2019 Afcon winner. they have some quality players in defender Touba, and great forward Slimani, and one of the best players in the Premier League Riyad Mahrez would have proven himself in Qatar.
Egypt is another great team from Africa to miss out of the party to Qatar, after crashing out to Senegal in the playoffs, the best African side in terms of the title won lost in a space of two months after also losing to the same team Senegal on penalties during this year Afcon final in Cameroon.
The Pharaohs remain one of Africa’s best and they have some quality players that would have stood out in Qatar, they include Mohammed Elneny of Arsenal, Ahmed Sayed, and Mohammed Salah arguably among the most feared forward in world football at the moment, who will not feature at the biggest stage of international football holding in Qatar this year.
Another country that would have showcased its talents at the world cup is west African side Ivory Coast, and the world cup would have given them enough tests ahead of the 2023 Afcon on home soil as hosts, The former African champions who were sent packing by Cameroon, had qualified for three straight world cup between 2006 and 2014  and have some big names who will not be in Qatar, they include Frank Jessie of Barcelona, Crystal Palace Wilfred Zaha who is a mainstay in the English Premier League with some outstanding performance.
And from South America, is Colombia, they will be missing in Qatar after attending the last two editions of the world cup, they finished sixth in the CONMEBLS qualification tournament, they lost out in fifth place and the intercontinental qualifying playoff with one point. One name on the lips of everyone from Columbia who will be greatly missed in Qatar is  Luiz Diaz of Liverpool FC.
Just like the above-mentioned names who will not be in Qatar, legends of the game like Eric Cantona, George Weah, Ryan Giggs, George Best, Di Stefano are among the top names who never played at the world cup.
Compiled and reported by Joseph Isokpehi for Truth Live News
