5 superstars omitted from their national teams for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers

#2 Mauro Icardi

It is hard to fathom that the talented Icardi has just one Argentina cap to his name

The exile of Mauro Icardi from the Argentina squad continues despite the striker scoring bagful of goals for Inter Milan in the current season. The 24-year-old player has scored 20 league goals and currently sits in third place on the goalscoring charts in the Serie A and that in itself should justify his selection into the Argentina squad.

However, his off the field issues – especially his feud with former Argentina international Maxi Lopez, who is believed to be a close friend of Lionel Messi – has kept Icardi out of contention for the national side.

Having said that, the issue is already behind us and it is time Edgardo Bauza recall the exiled striker and ensure that the nation’s qualification campaign does not end on a sour note.

With Lionel Messi amongst its ranks, the Argentina squad is not short on creative spark. However, what they seem to lack is the killer instinct that separates the champions from the others. Icardi can create a goal scoring opportunity out of almost nothing and, is most importantly, hungry to succeed at the international level.