FIFA World Cup 2018: Five superstars who will miss the tournament

The 2018 Football World Cup is around the corner with around a week left before footballing nations from around the world congregate in Russia to kick off the twenty-first International Football World Cup. Thirty-two teams have qualified to take part in the tournament, which begins on the 14th of June and ends on the 15th of July.

The teams have been selected and announced, and the coming week will be dedicated to making sure the players remain healthy. There are a few players, however, who will not be able to make it to this edition of the Football World Cup and will be missing out on the competition. Several high profile teams have failed to qualify and will consequently be missing out on the proceedings with their players unable to compete. Other players on teams who have qualified may also miss out due to injury or personal differences with the coach of their national teams.

In this list, we will talk about five players who are set to miss out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup taking place in Russia.

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#5 Karim Benzema

It's an opportunity missed for Benzema

Karim Benzema has reason to be happy, having scored one of the three goals which saw his Real Madrid side win their third consecutive Champions League Title.

Unfortunately for the French International, his hopes of playing in the 2018 World Cup look dim. The differences in opinion with French Head Coach Didier Deschamps has seen Benzema miss out on International games.

France came close to winning the World Cup in 2006, to add to their single World Cup win, but an infamous headbutt by Zidane led to heartbreak for the French team. They are looking to rectify the situation this year with a talented team, which have some big names missing from it.

Alongside Benzema, Anthony Martial and Alexander Lacazette did not make the final cut either. Koscielny's injury in the Europa League semi-final means that the defender's chances to appear in the World Cup are practically nil.

Earlier Benzema confessed that after two and a half years away from the International side, he was convinced there was no way he would play for as long as Deschamps was the head coach.

He missed out on Euro 2016 as well, and now it appears the 2018 World Cup will be another opportunity missed for the 30-year-old.

#4 Gianluigi Buffon

Buffon has announced his retirement from international football

At the age of 40, Gianluigi Buffon was looking for a final hurrah before he hung up his international boots and retired from playing for his country. Unfortunately for him, and Italian fans, the legendary goalkeeper's farewell came before anyone could expect it.

In the final play-off match against Sweden, Buffon was able to maintain a clean sheet with the result of the match being 0-0.

The first leg against Sweden has seen Italy lose at 1-0. The tie in the second leg meant that for the first time in sixty years, Italy would not be playing in the World Cup and had failed to qualify.

For many fans around the globe, this meant they were about to see their first football World Cup where Buffon was not playing.

With 176 caps for Italy, Buffon announced his retirement early, although he returned to play in a last friendly match.

The Italian Goalkeeper has probably played his last International match and ends his career with one World Cup win next to his name thanks to the victory of 2006.

#3 Alexis Sanchez

Sanchez scored four goals in the 2014 World Cup

Manchester United's Alexis Sanchez will not be able to make it to the 2018 World Cup, thanks to his team's failure to qualify for the competition. The Chilean will be sorely missed after his performances in earlier competitions.

Sanchez played a major part in Chile's role for the 2015 Copa America. Sanchez helped his side to secure their first major title after defeating Argentina, by converting the winning kick in the penalty shootout.

Sanchez scored four goals in the 2014 World Cup as well, before his side was knocked out by Brazil in the last-16.

This year, Sanchez will not be a part of the World Cup and will be forced to look on after his side failed to qualify, finishing sixth, below Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

#2 Gareth Bale

Bale was the hero for Real Madrid in Champions League final

Another hero from the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, Gareth Bale has no hope of the possibility of playing for his International side in the 2018 World Cup.

Wales failed to qualify despite doing better than Austria, Georgia and Moldova in Group D, but in the end, finished third on the table.

There have been rumours with regards to Bale changing his club side after scoring two spectacular goals in Champions League Final, to get more playing time.

Bale has not been able to emulate his club success for his country. Wales was able to make it to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, but when it comes to Russia, the country, and Bale, will be missing out.

#1 Arjen Robben

Robben was looking for his last run at the World Cup

Arjen Robben is one of the biggest names in football, be it at an International or at a club level. The Dutch International retired from playing for his country in 2017 after the Netherlands team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

Robben was looking for his last run in the World Cup before he hung up his boots after having played for his side, and historically bringing them to the Finals in 2010. Known for his pace, Robben has played three World Cups for his team since joining the International side.

Robben scored both goals in his side's victory over Sweden, but they were not enough to get them to a World Cup spot.

He helped his side to a runner's up spot after they lost against Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final, and helped them to finish third after defeating Brazil in the third-place play-off in 2014.

Robben remains possibly one of the biggest names to miss out on this year's World Cup.

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Which of these players will you miss the most at the World Cup? Sound off in the comments section below!