FIFA 2018 World Cup: Top 5 players to miss Argentina's 23-man squad

#1 Mauro Icardi

Icardi's 29 goals for the season wasn't enough to win a World Cup spot

He’s been the top scorer for Inter Milan since the last 4 years, but Mauro Icardi’s fortunes on the international stage haven’t been as glorious. The 25-year old is the most marquee absentee from Argentina’s World Cup squad, and the Nerazzurri fans’ anguish is every bit plausible.

Icardi finished the 2017/18 season with his career-best figures of 29 goals - the joint-highest alongside Lazio’s Ciro Immobile and also fostered his side’s return to the Champions League after 6 years. He’s been one of the more consistent strikers in the league and still, it has helped him earn only 4 international caps.

The reason can be apportioned due to the presence of more glamorous names in the squad, but Icardi deserved a place at the World Cup. Gonzalo Higuain had an uneven season with Juventus and has come up short regularly at the biggest of the stages. Sergio Aguero has only recovered from an injury and doubts remain over his form.

Icardi was the only striker with a clean bill of health this season and also an impressive vein of form. That makes his exclusion all the more questionable.