While Ronaldo, Messi and Lewandowski make the World Cup, Qatar will be absent the top talents Salah and Haaland
PORTO, Portugal – Cristiano Ronaldo are aiming QatarBut Mohamed Salah neither nor Zlatan Ibrahimovicwhose dream of becoming the first off-field player to bridge the 16-year gap between World Cup appearances went up in smoke in a belated, fruitless substitute act. Sweden in Poland.
Each World Cup is played with at least one top player or one major country failing to qualify, but when the Europe and Africa region is over (conflict in Ukraine meaning there is still a spot in the UEFA region), the big names absent are starting to add up.
Liverpool striker Salah, this year’s potential Ballon d’Or winner, suffers second game heart attack penalty shootout in less than two months like Egypt miss qualification by losing Senegal – a repeat of the Africa Cup of Nations final loss to the same team.
And Ibrahimovic, who will be 41 when Qatar 2022 begins, may forget about returning to the World Cup stage for the first – and possibly last, time, but who knows with Zlatan? – since not recorded in Germany The year 2006 after his return from international retirement was unsuccessful. Robert lewandowskiSecond-half penalty in Chorzow puts Poland in the game win 2-0 and qualify for Qatar, ensure that Bayern Munich striker – for many observers, the best central striker in the game – will be at football’s biggest party when the World Cup is held in November and December.
Salah and Ibrahimovic will join Norway Erling Haaland, who scored twice in Tuesday’s 9-0 win over Armenia, as absentees from the World Cup. Two of football’s biggest stars right now and a player who has been playing at the top for over a decade, neither of them will be in Qatar. And we haven’t even mentioned it yet ItalyThe team became the first European champion since Greece (2004 champion) to fail to qualify for the World Cup.
FIFA can be grateful for at least Ronaldo and his stars Portugal team will be in Qatar. Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Lewandowski will both bring their fame and class to the league, but none of them can be considered the next generation, or even the players at their peak. All three are superstars of the modern game, but Qatar will almost certainly be their last World Cup.
The new wave could be led by Haaland should Norway qualify, but there are still enough stars heading to Qatar who can ensure that the spotlight doesn’t automatically fall on the old keeper. including Ronaldo, Messi and Lewandowski.
Sadio ManeThe penalty against Egypt helped Senegal through to qualifying, so the Liverpool forward will have a chance to do what Salah cannot by leading his country at the World Cup and potentially helping another nation. The African team reached the semi-finals for the first time.
Kylian Mbappewho confirmed his superstar status with his performance in the 2018 World Cup final for France against Croatiawill see Qatar as an opportunity to knock Ronaldo and Messi off the top spot in football’s elite rankings, while Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling will also see this World Cup as an opportunity for them to assert their great position globally.
From Germany Kai Havertz, Christopher Nkunku of France and Spain‘S Pedal are others who could become World Cup stars in Qatar.
But while all eyes will be on Ronaldo as Portugal play in Qatar, their performance in the playoffs wins. Turkey and North Macedonia highlights the quality in Fernando Santos’ squad. Portugal is No longer a team that relies solely on Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s Manchester United teammate, Bruno Fernandesscored twice to seal a win in Porto over the North Macedonians, who knocked Italy out in the play-off semi-finals, and the World Cup would certainly have been a better tournament for his presence and that of Bernardo Silva, Diogo Jota and the Porto winger Otavio.
Portugal can also defend and, while they have deep reserves of flair up front, there is no shortage of quality in the back, where the 39-year-old Pepe still organized and defended excellently. He and Danilo excelled against North Macedonia.
But although Portugal would be one of the top nations in Qatar, the party would have been even bigger if Italy, Salah, Haaland and Ibrahimovic had also made it to the World Cup.
In their absence, others will make headlines, and one of them could be Ronaldo. Qatar 2022 wouldn’t be the same without him.
