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Top 10 Players Who Never Made A World Cup
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So a lot of the talk this week has been all about how we might be witnessing a World Cup in 2010 without Cristiano Ronaldo, or for that matter Lionel Messi. Its pretty unthinkable to imagine a World Cup without the two best players on the planet, but it could happen.
And while both Messi and Ronaldo have played at World Cups before, I thought it would be a timely reminder of ten players who weren’t lucky enough, for whatever reason, to play in the biggest tournament in World Football.
It might be because they played for a country who never made it, or because they fell out with management, or because they had somebody better than them ahead of them. But food for thought – Stéphane Guivarc’h has played at a World Cup, and none of these players have.
10 Abedi Pele
A World Cup in Africa, so its only right we start with the player who bought so much prominence to African Football in the first place. The three time African Footballer of the Year had success in Germany and Italy, but mostly in France, where he was an instrumental part of the Marseille side that picked up a Champions League medal (against a formidable AC Milan side, no less) unfortunately, despite the dual talents of himself and Tony Yeboah for Ghana, they never made a World Cup.
09 Johnny Giles and Ryan Giggs
The two have a number of similarities. They played completely differently – Giggs known for his silky skills and speed, Giles known for his win-at-all-costs mentality, but they both helped to define clubs that dominated eras in English Football, Giles as part of the 1970s Leeds United team that won a number of titles and Giggs as part of Man United’s 1990/00s teams that won everything there was to win. Neither made it to a World Cup though – Giles Republic of Ireland never making the cup, exactly as Ryan Giggs’ Wales never did.
08 Matthew Le Tissier
One of the best footballers of his generation, it remains a little bit of a mystery why Le Tiss, never made a World Cup although there are a couple of reasons. First, no-one knew exactly where he played, sometimes as an attacking midfielder, sometimes a forward. Second managers tended to want to play him in midfield, where England already had Paul Gascoigne, a national treasure and as big a talent. Lastly, he loyally spent his entire career at Southampton, meaning he was never tested on as big a stage as he should have been.
07 Eric Cantona
He might have defined the Man United team of the 1990s, but he never made it to a World Cup for France, despite being first capped in the late 1980s. He had fallen out with management before the 1990 World Cup so wasn’t selected for France’s Italian adventure, he was apart of the squad that failed to make the 1994 World Cup, and he retired in 1997, a year before France won the World Cup. He probably wouldn’t have been picked anyway.
06 Duncan Edwards
Speak to absolutely anyone of a certain age in England, and they’ll tell you how good Duncan Edwards was. Bobby Charlton called him the best player he ever played with. There is very little footage left of Edwards, who was killed in the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, but if he’s a tenth as good as people say, its a massive shame he never made a World Cup.
05 Valentino Mazzola
Similarly to Edwards, was killed before his time. There was a time in Italy, where Juventus were not Turin’s most talented team. Torino snatched Mazzola during the war from under the nose of Juve, and he led Torino to league title after league title as they dominated the post-war Serie A. Sadly, the entire team was killed in an air crash leaving one of Italy’s most talented players with just 12 caps.
04 Bernd Schuster
Voted second best player of the 1980 European Championships (which Germany won), Schuster sensationally retired from international football aged 24, after repeatedly falling out with the German FA. He decided to go home and see his baby son be born instead of playing for his country, which caused a national scandal and he walked away from the chance to play at any World Cup for his country.
03 George Weah
Another case of the most talented player in the world playing for a country – Liberia – that were never good enough to make the cut. Weah mesmerised Europe, especially when he did things like this for AC Milan, and he won World, European and African footballer of the year. In 1994 there was undoubtedly a feeling that one of the best players in the game was not at the World Cup.
02 George Best
Possibly the most famous big name never to make a World Cup, Best played for Northern Ireland, who never made the World Cup. You probably don’t need reminder of his ability on the ball though, as he lit up English football (and picked up a European Cup with Man United) for years and years. Eternal proof that you can’t qualify (let alone win) a World Cup with just the best player in the world playing for you.
01 Alfredo Di Stefano
Described by Pele as better than a certain El Diego, and yet bizarrely, the Real Madrid legend never played in a World Cup. The reasons though, are more complicated than some of the others above. Born in Argentina, he played for his country, but they didn’t play in the 1950 World Cup. He then became a Colombian international, and never made a World Cup. He became a Spanish National in 1956, but the Spanish didn’t qualify for the 1958 World Cup. Finally he led them to the 1962 Finals, but he got injured before the tournament and couldn’t play.
Eric Cantona wasn’t selected for France’s Italian adventure……
France didn’t qualify for italia 90.
Secondly Northern Ireland made the world cup in 82
antonio cassano
Jari Litmanen?
Cassano played in 02 didn’t he?
Posted from 
Australia
fabio johnario plays in esteghlal but he do’nt play in world cup
Jari Litmanen’s a good shout. Would have been great to see him in a World Cup.
Plenty of other Welsh greats to go alongside Giggs at #9 too. Ian Rush, Mark Hughes, Neville Southall etc.
And Liam Brady deserves to stand alongside Johnny Giles as an Irishman who didn’t make a World Cup. He played club football for Arsenal, Juve, Inter and others, but never made it to a major international tourney. His Wiki page explains it better than I could:
He won 72 international caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring 9 goals, although he never played in a major tournament, thanks to injury and a suspension accrued before Euro 88. During qualification for Italia 90 Brady retired from the international game. Once Ireland qualified he un-retired himself however Jack Charlton decided that those who’d played in the qualifiers deserved to go to Italy.
Good shout on Litmanen, definitely one of the best I’ve seen (in his Ajax days at least). Eidur Gudjohnsen?
Posted from 
Netherlands
Once again… Alberto Spencer…
Posted from 
United States
I agree with the Alberto Spencer suggestion. Was the best player Ecuador ever produced and made Penarol a Championship Caliber team. There was a small rivalry with him and Pele, but most dont acknowledge it because pele got all the plaudits.
Posted from United States
nah cassano only played in euro 04, and 08, not in any world cup yet…..
C. Ronaldo of Portugal
L. Messi of Argentina
F. Ribbery of France
All of them will miss World Cup South Africa 2010.
I have an instinct that the upcoming world cup will be boring and as usual Brazil will win it because of their good luck not good football, they will either play England or Spain in the finals and that is the truth. c u guys
Guys—
Is it too early to start the rumor that nobody is going to the World Cup because of security concerns about a terrorist “Black Sunday” scenario occurring… and Barcelona, Bayern Munich & Real Madrid fearing for the lives of their star commodities?
Posted from United States
jean pierre papin of france, european footballer of the year in 1991. at height of his powers he should have taken france to the world cup but failed
Posted from United States
I hope Portugal and Argentina clasify for the world championship. Both deserve it, especially Argentina. They have one of the best teams in the world but Maradona is not a good coach. He has not experience and just the inconsistent leadership of Argentine soccer association made possible such a flaw. Poor Maradona it is not his fault.
Anyway, I think the best of the 10 mentioned players is Di Stefano. He was at the level of Pele, Maradona, and Cruyf, who are the best ever players. He was a fenomenal player and he made the other players in his team very good. He was the best team player.
About being a traitor, I do not agree. There is no reason to blame Di Stefano. Argentina has always had some of the world’s best players. But this is a fact that Argentine soccer has invariably been involved in mess and disorder. Di Stefano lost his best years because of this mess. In 1966 he was already 40. Why play for a country which own disorder made him miss his best years? Argentine soccer have themselves to blame, not Di Stefano.
Fans of today have never seen Di Stefano, but one has to remember that he was the main reason why Real Madrid won fife consecutive European Championships. Real Madrid even participated in sixth consecutive finals, but lost the sixth one. That has happened only once and will perhaps never happen again. Di Stefano will for ever be Mr. Real Madrid.
Good argument but did he or did he not play for Spain? Jose Santamaria (Uruguayan) also played for Spain… I know it was kosher back then to do that but even Maradona stated in his book that Di Stefano playing for another country is a reason why he isn’t as revered in Argentina as he is (of course Diego’s World Revolves around me ego is a sketchy source)… based on talent, the guy should be up there in this “question” but the dual citizenship excludes him in my opinion.
Posted from United States
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George Best should be number one on that list, sad tragic story in general… I have to disagree with you on Di Stefano, I’m not Argentinean but Di Stefano is viewed as a traitor in Argentina & Uruguay, he opted to play for Spain in the 60’s (I believe)… a common problem when FIFA didn’t address the Dual Citizenship issue…
1950 World Cup scorers like Alcides Ghiggia & Juan Schiaffino played for the Italian National Team in the 1958 qualifiers and one of the best defenders to have ever played for Uruguay Jose Santamaria, ended up like Di Stefano playing for Spain, despite having played for Uruguay!
The only exclusion I see on your list is the Ecuadorian Alberto Spencer, Spencer who took Peñarol to trophy glory, never went to a World Cup… he tried to tag along with Uruguay but that’s when FIFA instituted the rule and forever changed football. But yeah I’ll say Alberto Spencer should be number 2 on your list.
As a Uruguayan/American I would also add Juan Ramon Carrasco, who was excluded out of the 1986 Uruguayan Squad by the anti-christ Enzo Francescoli… hence the 6-1 blowout loss to Denmark and the 1-0 loss to Maradona’s Argentina. Had Carrasco been the offensive conductor, Uruguay along with Francescoli and Ruben Paz would’ve ended in 4th place in that World Cup!
Posted from
United States