10 major football highlights in 2017

#10 Failed World Cup Campaigns

Buffon tearfully retired from international football following Italy's exit from the World Cup (via Getty)

With the FIFA World Cup set to be played next year in Russia, 2017 was the final opportunity to secure a playing spot in football's elite competition. Sad to say, more than a few countries didn't make the cut and even more unfortunate is the fact the several of the seasoned teams found themselves excluded from next summer's extravaganza.

Chile, Italy, Wales, Holland and the USA are some of the notable absentees. In the aftermath of the results, Gianluigi Buffon and Arjen Robben both announced their retirements from international football.

There's no denying that a World Cup ought to play host to the cream of the footballing crop, and a WC without Buffon, Gareth Bale, Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Riyadh Mahrez and several others will be slightly less entertaining.