5 great players who could have won the World Cup had they represented a different country 

Lionel Messi was eligible to play for Spain
Lionel Messi was eligible to play for Spain

#2 Mario Gomez

Germany v Italy - Quarter Final: UEFA Euro 2016
Germany v Italy - Quarter Final: UEFA Euro 2016

German striker Mario Gomez, who made his debut for the national team in 2007, played in two different World Cups but failed to win the tournament even once. His first World Cup came in 2010 in South Africa where the Germans lost to the eventual champions Spain in the semi-final.

He missed the tournament in 2014 after he a majority of the 2013–14 season due to a knee injury. Unfortunately for him, the Germans went all the way and came back home with the elusive World Cup trophy.

He was also a part of the recently concluded 2018 World Cup and was knocked out of the group stage. In total, none of his 31 goals for Germany came in the World Cup. If not for an injury, he could have won the World Cup in 2014. He could have become a World Champion in 2010 if he had chosen Spain as his nationality as he has a dual citizenship.

Quick Links

Edited by Shambhu Ajith
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications