FIFA World Cup 2018: Sane, Martial and 10 shock omissions from WC squads

Leroy Sane (Germany/Manchester City)

The 22-year-old winger was one of the stand-out stars in Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side that romped to the Premier League title in May. He sent rival defenders into a tizzy with his blazing runs on the left flank and yet, that was not enough to make the squad of Germany, the defending champions. Coach Joachim Loew attributed the snub to Sane’s performance for the national side, suggesting it wasn’t on par with Sane’s antics for club Manchester City. Sane, who won the PFA Young Player of the season, provided 15 assists and nine goals for Manchester City in their title-winning campaign. However, his contribution for the Germany has just been one assist in 12 games. Marco Reus, Julian Brandt and Julian Draxler were chosen ahead of him in the squad. Loew admitted that the competition for places in the national team was like a close 100m race that would lead to a photo finish.

Mario Goetze: (Germany/Borussia Dortmund)

Goetze won Germany hearts by scoring their winning goal in extra time against Argentina in the FIFA World Cup 2014 final at the Maracana Stadium. But four years have made a huge difference for a person that is etched in the memory of German fans. From being a regular starter in 2014, Goetze has not even made the squad for his nation at the 2018 World Cup. The 26-year-old has been struggling with his form as well as fitness for a long time now. He was diagnosed with a rare metabolism disorder earlier this season and almost the entire term because of it.

Mauro Icardi: (Argentina/Inter Milan)

It won’t be far from the truth to call Icardi the most unfavored man in Argentina. And although his exclusion from the national side might possibly have been due to the plethora of attacking options that Argentina have, the real reason remains to be his life off the field. Icardi’s relation with former teammate Maxi Lopez’s wife, Wanda Nara, led to the couple splitting and Wanda eventually marrying Icardi. The situation irked names like Diego Maradona for which Icardi might not get to play for Argentina in the future. Icardi has been in top form for Inter Milan. Being their top scorer for the past four seasons, Icardi finished with his career-best figures of 29 goals this season.

Alvaro Morata: (Spain/Chelsea)

Striker Morata has been in two of Real Madrid’s Champions League winning sides. He also played for Juventus when they were defeated by Madrid in the UCL final in 2017. Morata has a good history of scoring goals for Spain, having netted 12 goals in 17 appearances in 2016 and 2017, including three strikes at the Euro 2016. However, the 2017/18 season hasn’t really gone well for the Spaniard, who moved to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in the previous summer transfer window. The goal poacher, who is brilliant in winning aerial duels, had a poor season, scoring 11 goals in 31 Premier League appearances for the Blues. His former Chelsea teammate Diego Costa was chosen ahead of him.

Anthony Martial: (France/Manchester United)

One of the most exciting prospects for Manchester United since his arrival at Old Trafford, Martial struggled to find regular game time this season under Jose Mourinho and is also poised for a move away from the Premier League. His snub at the club level might have adversely affected Didier Deschamps as the France coach decided to let Martial off the plane to Russia. Although being in the Euro 2016 squad, Martial missed out the World Cup squad. Yet, it’s not the end of the road for him as he’s only 22.

Jack Wilshere: (England/Arsenal)

A career marred by frequent injuries, Wilshere had to spend time in AFC Bournemouth on loan in the 2016/17 season to regain his confidence. Although he was included in the squad for international friendlies against Netherlands and Italy, both of who will not feature in the World Cup, Wilshere missed out on a spot for Russia. Gareth Southgate preferred Fabian Delph of Manchester City instead. Wilshere earned his last England cap in the Euro 2016 match against Iceland, where the Three Lions suffered a humiliating defeat.

Radja Nainggolan: (Belgium/AS Roma)

Nainggolan must be pissed knowing that even an injured Vincent Kompany was included in the Belgium squad by coach Roberto Martinez, while he, despite enjoying the best of form, was not given a look. The Roma man was supposedly going to lead Belgium in the absence of Kompany, but it was not to happen. Martinez said leaving out a “top player” such as Nainggolan had been difficult but that his decision had been tactical. “I’ve played 300 matches in Serie A — it’s the most tactical competition in the world,” Radja told Belgian TV channel Vier. Other reports suggest the feud between Nainggolan and Martinez led to the midfielder being axed from the squad. Upset over the snub, Nainggolan announced his retirement from international football.

Alexandre Lacazette: (France/Arsenal)

He might have been Arsenal’s then record signing, but according to France coach Didier Deschamps, Lacazette just wasn’t good enough to make the cut. Unlike Mauro Icardi, Lacazette’s exclusion can be attributed to the number of options available for France in front of the goal. Deschamps claimed that the competition in the French squad is intense and that he considers Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Nabil Fekir as axial strikers, even if they can play in other positions. Lacazette scored 14 goals across all competitions for Arsenal in his debut season.

Marcos Alonso (Spain/Chelsea)

In a team that has names like Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba in their defensive line-up, it’s always difficult to find yourself a place. However, it was supposed to be less difficult for Alonso. The full-back was one of the standout performers for Chelsea in a season where they bagged the FA Cup but finished fifth in the Premier League. Having made his international debut as recently as March 2018, he was a shock exclusion from Spain’s squad.

Sergi Roberto (Spain/Barcelona)

The man who officially completed La Remontada, Sergi Roberto will forever be known for his wonder last-minute goal against PSG. The full-back will join his national teammate Marcos Alonso in watching their team from home. Roberto would have fancied his chances when Dani Carvajal limped off during Real Madrid’s Champions League final against Liverpool last month, but the Spanish management confirmed that Carvajal is indeed making it on the plane to Russia.