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The 2022 FIFA World Cup is not that far away now and the excitement increases with time. That being said, not all the teams are assured of a place at the tournament in Qatar.
So far 13 teams have qualified for the FIFA World Cup out of the 32 that will be participating in total. It remains uncertain as to which teams will be taking up the remaining places.
Many superstar players will miss the FIFA World Cup
Although the play-offs are yet to be played, there are already some big names assured of missing out on playing in the FIFA World Cup. It is certainly a big blow for the players and their fans. On that note, let's take a look at the 10 most valuable players who are already guaranteed to miss the FIFA World Cup.
Note: All values are as mentioned on Transfermarkt
#10 Sebastien Haller (Ivory Coast) - €27 million
The tall striker was born to a French father and Ivorian mother. Sebastien Haller represented France in his youth career but decided to play for Ivory Coast at senior level.
Having started his club career in France, he got his first major breakthrough when he signed for Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. There on he signed for West Ham United in the Premier League and joined Ajax this summer. Haller has been phenomenal for the Dutch side, scoring seven goals in 12 league appearances already.
Valued at €27 million, the former West Ham striker will not be seen in next year's FIFA World Cup. His goals would have been a delight to watch on such a big stage if Ivory Coast had managed to qualify for the tournament.
#9 Naby Keita (Guinea) - €32 million
The Liverpool midfielder is finally gaining some form and showing his worth with the Merseyside club this season. Naby Keita is a very effective box-to-box player with a very good work-rate at his disposal.
The Guinea midfielder has a very direct approach to his game, which suits Liverpool's style of play. He already has two goals to his name in the Premier League and is showing signs of improvement from last season.
Keita is valued at €32 million and is one of the star African players who will miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Guinea had a terrible outing in the second round of CAF qualification as they failed to register a single win in the six matches played.
#8 Nicolas Pepe (Ivory Coast) - €35 million
Much was expected from Nicolas Pepe when he signed for Arsenal. The forward did amazingly well for Lille in Ligue 1 which helped him earn a move to the Premier League.
In his first two seasons with the Gunners, Pepe has struggled to maintain the same form. The physicality of the Premier League has taken a toll on him but slowly it looks like the Ivory Coast winger is adjusting to the demands.
With Ivory Coast assured of missing out on a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the €35 million forward will not be playing in Qatar. Pepe will now focus on reviving his form and helping Arsenal in all competitions.
#7 Martin Odegaard (Norway) - €40 million
Another Arsenal player to miss out on the FIFA World Cup is young Martin Odegaard. The 22-year old spent last season on loan with the Gunners before permanently signing for them this summer.
Odegaard is a very dynamic midfielder with a lot of potential under his belt. His incisive passing combined with his vision makes him a wonderful playmaker. The former Real Madrid man could be a star player in the future if he develops in the right fashion.
With Norway finishing third in Group G of the UEFA qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup, Odegaard will miss out on playing in the tournament. Valued at €40 million, the Arsenal midfielder can hopefully play in the next FIFA World Cup in 2026.
#6 Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) - €40 million
Not many might have heard the name Edmond Tapsoba. The 22-year old is a very dynamic and sharp defender, currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
With his speed, composure and passing ability, the Burkinabe is often compared to how Jerome Boateng played. The tall centre-back has been touted to achieve big things and can soon be expected to play for a bigger club.
Burkina Faso put up a strong fight but could only finish second in Group A of Round two of the CAF qualifiers. As such, they missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Valued at €40 million, Edmond Tapsoba could be seen playing in the Premier League in the future.
#5 Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast) - €45 million
After the end of almost every season, it is expected that Wilfried Zaha will leave Crystal Palace. Surprisingly, no transfer has taken place and the Ivorian has remained a vital cog for the Eagles.
With his amazing dribbling and goal-scoring abilities, Zaha has been the messiah for Crystal Palace more often than not. He scored 11 Premier League goals in 30 appearances last season and has already scored four times in 10 league appearances this term.
Unfortunately, Zaha could not help his country qualify further and will miss out playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Valued at €45 million, the Crystal Palace winger deserves more recognition for some of the wonderful performances that he has given so far.
#4 Franck Kessie (Ivory Coast) - €55 million
Franck Kessie started his club career in Italy as he came through the ranks at Atalanta. After a two-year loan spell with AC Milan, the central midfielder signed for them permanently in 2019.
Ever since then, Kessie has been an important player for the Serie A giants. His ability to win the ball back and at the same time feed the ball to his attackers has helped him excel. The Ivorian midfielder runs out of contract at the end of the season and there are a number of suitors waiting for his signature.
Since Ivory Coast have been knocked out of their chances of playing in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kessie can now focus on his club career. Valued at €55 million, he is expected to be playing for a bigger club come next season.
#3 Milan Skriniar (Slovakia) - €60 million
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will miss some quality defenders and Milan Skriniar is one of them. He has been one of the best centre-backs in Serie A for the last few years. Having started his career in Slovakia, he got recognition when he arrived in Italy.
He initially played for Sampdoria, which helped him earn a move to Inter Milan. Skriniar is a strong tackler and a very aggressive one at that. He's also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder but centre-half is his natural position.
Slovakia failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup as they fell eight points short of a play-off place. Valued at €60 million, Skriniar will be a major miss in the tournament.
#2 Jan Oblak (Slovenia)
The Slovenian has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the football world for a long time. In all fairness, Jan Oblak deserves more appreciation and recognition for the wonderful performances he has put in for Atletico Madrid time and again.
The former Benfica goalkeeper was named in the 30-man shortlist for the 2017 and 2018 Ballon d'Or which speaks volumes of his efforts. Oblak is known to have a commanding presence in the box and is known for his shot-stopping abilities using his quick reflexes and agility.
Valued at €70 million, the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper will not be present at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Slovenia failed to make it to the play-offs. A player of Oblak's stature deserves to play in a high level tournament like the FIFA World Cup.
#1 Erling Haaland (Norway)
The current young generation of footballers have immense potential and some of them can even be termed as world-class right now. Erling Haaland is one such player who has been brutally dominant in front of goal from a very young age.
Nicknamed 'The Terminator', the Norwegian has all the qualities to consistently become a world-class striker. Using his tall and strong physique, Haaland is a very difficult player to stop. His goal-scoring abilities are second to none and has a number of suitors lined up for him come next summer.
Haaland had crazy numbers while playing for RB Salzburg scoring 17 goals in just 16 league appearances. They only got better when he signed for Borussia Dortmund in 2019. So far, he has scored 49 goals in 49 Bundesliga appearances at the age of 21.
All the signs show a very bright future for the former Molde striker. Unfortunately, Haaland will miss out on playing in the FIFA World Cup next year as Norway failed to qualify, falling just three points short of a play-off place. The young forward is currently sidelined with a hip injury and is unlikely to play this calendar year.
