World Cup 2018: 5 Barcelona players who won't be at the World Cup

The World Cup remains the pinnacle for any footballer and a chance to represent their side in the ultimate footballing extravaganza is one that most just dreams of.

Barcelona always have a sizable contingent at World Cups and this year is no different with the likes of Pique, Messi and Suarez all set to light up the competition for their respective sides.

However, some players were not so lucky and were overlooked by their national team coaches.

Here are five Barcelona players who will not be a part of World Cup 2018:

#5 Nelson Semedo

Surprise omission

Probably the most surprising omission from Portugal's squad for the World Cup was Barcelona right-back Nelson Semedo.

Semedo made 24 appearances for the Spanish champions in the league and a further 7 in the Champions League and while he did not put in the most consistent of performances, he would have expected to make the 23-man squad named by Portugal manager Fernando Santos at least as the second choice right back behind Cedric Soares.

Semedo played a couple of games for Portugal in their qualification campaign and impressed albeit against a relatively weaker opposition, and he will be bitterly disappointed with the fact that he will not be travelling to Russia.

#4 Andre Gomes

Just not good enough?

Andre Gomes featured in most of Portugal's qualifying fixtures in the first half of the campaign but was utilised less and less as the competition progressed.

He hardly got any game time for Barcelona either, struggling to break into the first team that contained the likes of Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic and co. In what was easily Gomes' worst season as a professional footballer, he made just 16 appearances in La Liga - most of them as a substitute - and was often jeered by his own fans for poor displays on the pitch.

All that culminated with him being left out of the Portugal squad for the World Cup. Gomes is being tipped to exit Barcelona in the summer and maybe that will help him get his career back on track.

#3 Jasper Cillessen

Failed to qualify!

Cillessen won't be on the plane to Russia simply because his nation failed to qualify. The Netherlands had a qualification campaign to forget, losing to Bulgaria and France (twice) and drawing to Sweden, meaning they finished third in their group, ensuring they will not be a part of Russia 2018.

Cillessen featured in almost all of Netherlands' qualifiers which was about all the game time he got all season as he remained the second choice to Marc-Andre ter Stegen at Barcelona.

Cillessen played just 1 La Liga game and 1 Champions League tie and was only regularly used by Valverde in the Copa del Rey where he made 9 appearances.

#2 Sergi Roberto

Unlucky?

Another player who will feel hard done by to have missed out on a World Cup spot is versatile Spaniard Sergi Roberto.

Many felt Roberto had done enough to warrant a place in the Spanish squad courtesy his performances for Barcelona this season. Roberto was even named in La Liga's Team of the Season, ahead of Dani Carvajal, who funnily enough was named in Spain's provisional squad.

Roberto's ability to play in multiple positions is an added bonus and one that should have been enough to get him a ticket to Russia but he will have to remain content watching the action on the television like the rest of us.

#1 Lucas Digne

2nd

choice became 3rd!

Digne did not have a great season at Barcelona, making just 8 appearances in La Liga and 3 in the Champions League. That was not surprising considering Barcelona have one of the best left-backs in the world in their ranks - Jordi Alba. Even on the few occasions, he did manage to start a game, he lacked confidence and looked far from his best.

The lack of game time has cost Digne a place in the French World Cup squad as they have named Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Mendy instead.

The left-back is all set to leave the Camp Nou this summer and that would do wonders for his career and who knows he might feature in the next World Cup.