The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is set to kick off next Sunday, welcoming the biggest football stars worldwide. However, fans will miss out on watching other stars either due to failure to qualify or the curse of injuries and coaching decisions.
**Salah, Mané, and Haaland**
Egypt failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup after a dramatic loss to Senegal, which had previously defeated the Pharaohs in the recent Africa Cup of Nations final. Consequently, Salah will not be in the World Cup, similar to his former teammate and current Bayern Munich player, Senegal's Sadio Mané, who confirmed his absence on Thursday due to a recent knee injury sustained with his club in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, Haaland was unable to lead Norway to the finals, marking his country’s absence since 1998.
**Gianluigi Donnarumma**
Like his compatriots Marco Verratti and Jorginho, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and Paris Saint-Germain will miss the opportunity to participate in the Qatar World Cup with the Azzurri following their playoff loss to the modest North Macedonia. For the second consecutive time, Italy, a four-time World Cup champion, will miss the global event, resulting in significant disappointment.
**Reece James**
The young right-back for England and Chelsea, Reece James, tweeted on November 9, "I’m devastated," marking the official date of his withdrawal from the England squad due to a knee injury sustained in mid-October.
**Sergio Ramos and Presnel Kimpembe**
World Cup champions Sergio Ramos and Presnel Kimpembe will also be absent. While Spain has grown accustomed to Ramos's absence, who has not worn his national team jersey since March 2021, Kimpembe hoped until the end to defend the title he won with Les Bleus in 2018. He even appeared in the initial list from coach Didier Deschamps but had to give up his spot due to inadequate recovery from an Achilles tendon injury, making way for Axel Disasi.
**Ferland Mendy**
French left-back Ferland Mendy, a key player for Real Madrid, is not part of Deschamps's plans. At 27 years old, Mendy has never fully secured his spot in the star-studded French lineup. This time, Deschamps preferred Lucas and Theo Hernandez, while Luka Digne (with 46 international caps) faced a similar fate.
**N'Golo Kanté**
Deschamps summarizes the situation by stating, “Not having N'Golo is a decrease in power due to his energy and experience. Personally, he is a lovable little man, always with a smile. We will miss him.” Kanté, who plays as a defensive midfielder and is a 2018 World Cup champion, is having a tough season with Chelsea. He has only played two matches this current season and has been sidelined for long periods due to a hamstring injury, not expected to return until 2023.
**Thiago Alcântara and Paul Pogba**
The first World Cup held in the Middle East will also miss two of the most talented midfielders in the world. Despite his impressive performances for Liverpool, midfielder Thiago Alcântara did not convince coach Luis Enrique enough to secure a spot. As for Pogba, injuries to his right knee and thigh will prevent his participation, leaving Deschamps to restructure the French midfield without him and Kanté.
