"Gianluigi Donnarumma, at 27, has won a Champions League, a European Championship, and the Yashin Trophy, yet he has never played at a World Cup."
"Italy's repeated qualifying failures have made it a reality that one of the sport's great nations will not be represented in the tournament."
"Nigeria, bursting with Premier League talent, fell on penalties to DR Congo in the CAF play-off final for the second consecutive cycle."
"Put the best of the missing together, and you do not have a squad that would fill seats; you have one that would compete for the biggest prize in football."
The World Cup will feature 48 nations, but several top players will not participate due to their teams' failures to qualify. Italy, a four-time champion, has missed the tournament for the third consecutive time, leaving behind a generation of talent. Nigeria, Poland, Denmark, Cameroon, Hungary, and Ukraine also failed to qualify, with notable players like Robert Lewandowski and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia missing out. A hypothetical XI of these players would be competitive for the World Cup title.
Read at 101GREATGOALS.COM
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