5 Best Goalkeepers who have been left off from FIFA World Cup
A match between Qatar, the host nation, and Ecuador will open the FIFA World Cup 2022 on November 20. Then comes a month of thrilling football action with some of the biggest names in the world.
The absence of a few key players will be noticeable at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, even if there will be plenty of well-known people there. Due to their respective national teams’ failure to qualify, certain elite athletes will be absent from the World Cup.
A couple of others have been injured and are no longer eligible. However, some players have also withdrawn from their respective national teams. Look at five of the top goalkeepers benched from the 2022 FIFA World Cup right away.
Mitchell Langerak (Australia)
To compete for the position of starting Goalkeeper for Australia in the FIFA World Cup in 2022, Mitchell Langerak came out of retirement. Due to COVID-19, he decided to retire. During the height of the pandemic, he was unhappy about being away from his family so much.
He spoke with the Socceroos’ head coach Graham Arnold, and Langerak secured a position in Australia’s two-game series against New Zealand’s neighbors in September. However, he was not a part of either game, so he is no longer on Australia’s 2022 FIFA World Cup roster.
In 33 league games this season, Langerak has maintained 14 clean sheets for Nagoya Grampus of Japan. However, despite Langerak’s best efforts, Matt Ryan, Danny Vukovic, and Andrew Redmayne qualified ahead of him.
Zack Steffen (USA)
Zack Steffen, who joined Manchester City this summer, was later loaned out to Middlesbrough for the entire season. He has performed admirably for the Championship team, recording four shutouts in 17 games as the best Goalkeeper.
Steffen appeared unconcerned about his possibility of reaching the USMNT list for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He was favored as their No. 1 Goalkeeper for the competition, but shockingly, he was left off the 26-man roster.
Fans and experts alike are perplexed by the decision to pass over Steffen when Matt Turner, Sean Johnson, and Ethan Horvath cut. Following the squad announcement, Berhalter has been questioned by the media on Steffen’s removal.
Jasper Cillessen (Netherlands)
Fans anticipated surprises when Louis van Gaal chose his team for the 2022 FIFA World Championship. But, instead, one of their most seasoned players, Jasper Cillessen, who has been mainstay in the national team, has been selected to leave behind by the seasoned coach.
Van Gaal has chosen Remko Pasveer, Justin Bijlow, and Andries Noppert as his three goalkeepers. For the national squad, all three players have combined for eight appearances. Cillessen has 63 caps for the Netherlands’ national team.
Dean Henderson (England)
In all fairness, England boasts many excellent goalkeepers, so somebody was bound to obtain the short end of the stick. Dean Henderson is currently on a one-season loan from Manchester United to Nottingham Forest.
Henderson has performed admirably for Forest, but he has been unable to beat out England’s chosen goalkeepers for a berth in the team. He decided from above Nick Pope, Jordan Pickford, and Aaron Ramsdale.
Henderson participated in the recent UEFA Nations League matches between Germany and Italy for the Three Lions. As a result, the versatile keeper may qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. However, it wasn’t meant to be.
David De Gea (Spain)
David de Gea has slipped the list of Spain’s goalkeepers due to his inconsistent play and decline in quality in recent seasons. Many have concluded that De Gea has let the match pass him by due to his distribution skills, which have become a significant weakness in his game.
He has, however, been in excellent shot-stopping form for Manchester United this season. The Spaniard has made 20 appearances for the Red Devils this season in all competitions and has nine clean sheets to his credit.
He has 45 appearances for La Roja, and given his recent performances, he would have anticipated selection to the national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.