2022 FIFA World Cup: The Premier League’s missing stars in Qatar

The Premier League is currently seen as the world’s top football league, capable of attracting the globe’s best players. The money available to Premier League teams makes it possible to sign almost any player available in the transfer market, as we have seen in recent seasons.

Unfortunately for the Premier League, not all of its star players will be on display in Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Several of the league’s top stars won’t appear at the World Cup after their national teams failed to make the competition. Additionally, a growing list of Premier League stars won’t play in Qatar due to injuries, which occurred at exactly the wrong time.

Controversy has surrounded the 2022 FIFA World Cup since the day the world’s governing body for football announced the tiny Middle Eastern country would host the competition more than 10 years ago. One of the latest issues FIFA will have for this year’s competition is the growing number of absent star players that won’t be available for the tournament.

FIFA aims to fix that problem for the World Cup in 2026, as it increases the number of international games players must compete in. The 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States will see 48 teams contest the event, and the number of games played rise.

Which Premier League players didn’t qualify for the World Cup?

Premier League champions Manchester City will be happy that star player Erling Haaland’s Norway failed to qualify for the World Cup. Haaland suffered a foot injury in November, and the tournament’s break will give him a chance to recover.

Haaland has never been a player completely free of injuries. Manager Pep Guardiola will give his star striker the chance to rest and recovery before making an assault on the Premier League title.

Haaland’s Premier League-leading 18 goals set the standard for players across the Premier League in the first part of the campaign. The Norwegian is chasing last season’s Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah, who will also sit out the World Cup.

Embed from Getty Images

Salah’s Egypt were eliminated by Sadio Mane’s Senegal in a two-legged playoff in African World Cup qualification last spring.  Egypt’s loss to Senegal came just weeks after Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations on penalties, with Salah not taking one of the spot kicks for Egypt.

Fellow Liverpool player Luis Diaz, who is recovering from a knee injury, failed to qualify for the World Cup with Colombia. The time off will give Diaz the chance to overcome his knee injury and return to Liverpool in the second half of the season. Fellow Colombian international, Davinson Sanchez of Tottenham, will get time off as well.

Haaland’s Norwegian teammate Martin Odegaard will likely spend his World Cup in London training. Arsenal are five points ahead of Haaland’s Man City in the race for the Premier League title. Manager Mikel Arteta will be delighted his Norwegian playmaker will get time off. Odegaard is coming off a two-goal performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers, and his €35 million transfer from Real Madrid in August 2021 looks like a steal.

While Haaland, Salah, and Odegaard are three of the Premier League’s highest-profile players that won’t appear at the World Cup after failing to qualify, there are other stars from the English top flight that will miss out. Newcastle United’s in-form attacking midfielder Miguel Almiron wasn’t able to qualify for the tournament with Paraguay.

Sweden’s inability to qualify for the World Cup sees Antonio Conte’s secret weapon Dejan Kulusevski getting a rest. Kulusevski had limited match time in October and November, as he recovered from a thigh injury. The Swedish forward’s absence was felt by the Spurs team, as they lost three of the six games he missed through injury.

Fellow Swedes Viktor Lindelof, Alexander Isak, and Robin Olsen will all sit out the winter World Cup. Italy’s failure to qualify for the tournament also sees Chelsea’s Jorginho and West Ham’s Emerson missing the biggest sporting event in the world.

Which Premier League players are injured for the World Cup?

UEFA’s creation of the Nations League competition further congested the football calendar. Other confederations around the globe have added similar competitions to cash in on international football fixtures.

Now, players in the Premier League are playing non-stop football throughout the season and it is showing. Top players look fatigued and are suffering from body breakdowns. A growing list of players will miss the World Cup in Qatar due to injuries, and more players may drop out once the tournament kicks off.

Liverpool’s Diogo Jota was omitted from the Portugal team due to a reoccurring hamstring injury. He suffered the injury in June during the UEFA Nations League. He was limited to just four Premier League games for Liverpool before breaking down again.

England’s Ben Chilwell suffered a hamstring injury in the Champions League and will miss the tournament for England. Chilwell is another player suffering from reoccurring injuries. Chilwell’s Chelsea teammates Reece James and N’Golo Kante are also out after being sure things to make the England and France squads, respectively.

Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto underwent ankle surgery which will keep him out until after Christmas. Liverpool midfield Arthur Melo and Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara are also out for Brazil and France, respectively, due to injuries. However, neither player was likely to get into their team based on current form.

The biggest worry for Premier League teams isn’t the players missing out through injury, it is the players carrying injuries heading to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. A large number of players are likely already be suffering the effects of a difficult season and a short offseason before it.

Harry Kane suffered a back injury against Leeds United on the final day of Premier League action before the World Cup break. He is set to play, but any further injury setbacks for Kane and England’s hopes of winning the tournament could be dashed. Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk hasn’t looked himself at Liverpool. Whether he has played at 80% to save himself for the World Cup or he is carrying an injury is debatable.

…and then there’s Ronaldo

Then there is Manchester United and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo. The star striker is not injured physically, but if you watched his recent interview with Piers Morgan, it is easy to tell Ronaldo is mentally hurt.

His comments about Manchester United not evolving were explosive, especially when he simply wants the club to revert to being all about him. Ronaldo goes into the World Cup an ageing player on the eve of 38.

Ronaldo is unable to come to terms with his waning powers, just as his greatest rival, Lionel Messi, could be on the verge of his most historic moment.

"Man United are taking legal advice on how to tackle the problem." 😮

Rob Dawson says Ronaldo's second spell at United is over ❌ pic.twitter.com/NB9a5X48Kr

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 16, 2022

FIFA will expand the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026. It feels like the organisation is dead set on making international football a 12-month ordeal that will push club football to the backburner. Or it could compete alongside club football.

The 2022 World Cup is likely to suffer for several reasons. FIFA and the organisers are already praising the tournament, saying it will be a “World Cup like never before”. However, based on missing star names, injured players, and what will likely be some disastrous issues off the pitch at the tournament, this World Cup could turn out to be a football tournament like never before for all the wrong reasons.