5 stars who picked up injuries before the World Cup

The first World Cup I remember was 1950 when I was 9 or 10 years old. My father was a soccer player and there was a big party and when Brazil lost to Uruguay, I saw my father crying. I was with all the kids and I said, 'Why are you crying?' My father said, 'Brazil lost the World Cup.' - Pele

Now, you can imagine how big a deal it is just watching the teams play in the World Cup. If your team lose, it's a world of melancholy. But for the players, the feeling is worse. The only thing they can take pride in is the fact that they represented their team at the biggest tournament there is in football.

Football can be a cruel game at times. Like I said before, losing gives you the sinking feeling, but just how bad is it to miss out on making an appearance on the grandest stage of them all? We've seen some of the best players pick up injuries right before the tournament.

Here, we'll take a look at some of the stars who were close to featuring in the World Cup before their hopes were dashed by cruel injuries...

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#5 Marco Reus

The German is perhaps one of the unluckiest when it comes to playing in international tournaments. A sure-shot starter when fit, Reus has had a stellar career at Borussia Dortmund. However, not making an appearance in the Euro or the World Cup will annoy him.

Although Germany went on to win the World Cup and in hindsight, his injury didn't matter for the side, Reus' presence would have arguably made them a stronger side in attack.

In the 2013-14 season, Reus scored 16 goals and mustered 14 assists, a tally he hasn't matched in the last few seasons. It was his best campaign in club colours, and he was in the best possible shape for the World Cup before picking up an injury in a friendly game against Armenia. Germany won the game 6-1 but lost one of their best attackers if not the best at the time.

#4 Santiago Canizares

Santiago Canizares

Before a young Iker Casillas made his bow for Spain in the 2002 World Cup, Santiago Canizares was the first choice for the Spanish national team. The custodian graduated from the Real Madrid youth academy but he is predominantly known for his spell with Valencia where he won the league title.

Out of all the players on this list, Canizares' injury before the World Cup is perhaps the most strange one. Just how much damage can a bottle of aftershave cause? Ask the Spaniard.

Before the World Cup began, Canizares accidentally dropped his aftershave bottle and a broken shard tore his big toe's tendon.

When the player was asked about the incident and missing the World Cup, he said, "I do not consider myself to be unlucky by any manner of means.

"From the start of my career, I have had several strokes of good luck. But, just like everyone else, I have also had difficult times which I have had to cope with. Now I have to overcome this blow to my morale... and in my case, that may take a week or just three days."

It was a freak incident but Casillas got his chance and boy did he go on to have a career after that!

#3 Michael Ballack

Ballack in 2006

The second German on the list, Ballack had his hopes of featuring in his third World Cup dashed while playing for Chelsea. The Germans had a pretty young team but they did have a few experienced players as well.

The likes of Per Mertesacker, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose always performed regardless of their age when they put on the German shirt. But it was Ballack who was the captain for eternity and was expected to gee up the younger players for the biggest tournament in football.

33 at the time, Ballack suffered from torn ligaments on his right ankle after Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng's reckless tackle.

Ballack was gutted of course and said, "It's bitter to get a diagnosis like that before the World Cup.

"There's naturally a lot of disappointment. But that's football. Life goes on."

#2 Radamel Falcao

Radamel Falcao

Before James Rodriguez rose to prominence with Colombia, it was Radamel Falco who was the poster boy of the nation. Back in 2014, Falcao was at the peak of his powers and as a defender, there is nothing more intimidating defending against a striker who was built like a tank, had a good burst of pace and clinical in front of goal.

In 17 games in the 2013-14 campaign, Falcao has scored nine goals. The reason why he played just 17 times is that his season was cut short by a knee injury in Monaco's Cup game against Monts Or Azergues.

Colombia could have done with a player of Falcao's calibre even though they reached the quarterfinals. They narrowly lost to Brazil and perhaps Falcao could have made a difference. Colombia still managed to impress because of Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez's brilliance.

#1 Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten's career came to an abrupt end

Van Basten had a stellar career with Ajax and AC Milan. The legendary Dutch forward was often synonymous with his stunning volleys and prolificity in front of goal, but boy did he have a footballing brain.

More than six feet, he was one of the best forwards at the time in terms of his technique and once he got the ball, there was very little chance he was going to give it back because of his composure and his strength.

While his physical attributes helped him excel, his ankles simply couldn't take all the physical exertion and he was forced to retire at the age of 28. Because of how good he often was on the ball, he was often at the wrong end of tackles as defenders didn't know how to deal with him.

In the end, the series of surgeries took a toll on him and he was forced to retire at the age of 28. He gave it his all before the 1994 World Cup, but his body simply didn't permit him to take part.