The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just a few short months away, and with the qualifying period now officially over, we finally know which 32 teams will be competing for the title.
However, a handful of nations were left out in the cold. Who are they? Let’s take a look at some of the biggest teams that won’t be in Qatar this November:
Italy
The Azzurri, one of the most famous footballing nations in the world, will not be participating in the 2022 World Cup.
After failing to qualify last time, Italy embarked on a 37-game unbeaten run that included a victory in the 2020 European Championships. However, they could not secure an automatic place in this year’s tournament.
Their failure to defeat Switzerland and Northern Ireland then saw them drop into a playoff against Sweden, which they lost on aggregate over two legs. Their loss to North Macedonia earlier this month was their second defeat since September 2018.
Russia
Russia will miss out on the 2022 World Cup after being banned from qualifying following the conflict in Ukraine. The hosts of the 2018 World Cup were due to play Poland in the playoffs, but after FIFA and UEFA banned Russian participation amid the conflict, Poland was given a bye and beat Sweden to book their final spot.
Russia was ranked 35th in the previous FIFA rankings. They came second in 2022, qualifying Group H, one point behind Croatia.
Hungary
Hungary, ranked 41st in the world before the World Cup draw had a poor qualifying campaign. They finished fourth in Group I, behind England, Poland and, notably, Albania. Only Andorra and San Marino, the lowest-ranked team in the world, stopped them from propping up the group.
Hungary’s form has been poor for some time now – they lost their last four matches before the tournament began – with defeats against Poland (twice) and Croatia. They also lost to Iceland in March and drew with Finland earlier this month.
Norway
This is a big blow for Norway, who finished third in Group G with 18 points. Their elimination means they will miss out on the playoffs, and they can win those.
Norway has several talented players that could have made their way to the World Cup, including Martin Odegaard, Erling Haaland, and Ole Selnaes. Unfortunately, Norway will not be able to showcase its talents on the biggest stage.
Slovakia
The Slovaks were the only team from Group H that failed to qualify for the European playoff round, but they did manage to finish level on points with Slovenia. They were nine points behind group winners Croatia and had a good chance of winning if they overturned Russia’s ban. However, they added no replacement team to the European playoff picture and Slovakia were left out in the cold.
Ivory Coast
The Ivory Coast has been a mainstay in the African qualifiers, so it is surprising to see them miss out on the third round. They finished second in the group phase, two points behind Cameroon, failing to make it to the third round.
This is not just a bad luck; rather, it indicates how difficult it is for teams with experience and skill to navigate this World Cup qualifying process.
Egypt
Egypt, the only team to win the World Cup in Africa and the third-most successful side in the continent’s history, will not be present at next year’s tournament after their campaign ended with a 2-1 aggregate defeat to Senegal, who reached their first finals since 2002.
Mohamed Salah will not be at the World Cup after he was again outdone by his former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane and his Senegal team in the final round of the African playoffs.
Final Takeaway
All in all, the tournament will be an exciting one to watch. The smaller teams will have a lot of opportunities to show what they can do, and they’ll no doubt be giving their all to leave their mark on history. And as for the big teams, they will need to ensure that they keep themselves on the right track, or else the 2022 World Cup might be another missed opportunity.
