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With a club of Liverpool’s stature, it is natural to expect many Reds to be selected for international football’s biggest tournament. While that might be true for the likes of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk and Jordan Henderson, there were some noticeable snubs by certain international managers for the World Cup in Qatar.
Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Despite Brazil’s front line boasting the likes of Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus and, of course, Neymar, it seems almost unfathomable that manager Tite would fail to elect Firmino for this winter’s tournament. His decision reflects the multitude of offensive talent at his disposal, which is why the Canarinha are currently favourites to win the tournament, with odds of 7/2 on football betting sites.
Nevertheless, while PSG’s star man may be practically undroppable, it is hard to ignore the fact that ‘Bobby’ has posted the second-best return out of all Brazil’s forwards. The 31-year-old has an impressive nine goals and four assists to his name across all competitions in 2022/23, more than the goal involvements of Richarlison (2G, 2A) and Jesus (5G, 6A). Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp had his say, calling the decision to drop Firmino as “madness”, who at his age may struggle to feature in another World Cup later in his career.
Thiago (Spain)
Spain boss Luis Enrique is well known for his unorthodox approaches. One such case of his head-scratching selections is the omission of Reds midfielder Thiago this winter. While the 31-year-old is yet to produce a goal or assist in 14 appearances this season, his quality and ability to change a game cannot be underestimated. Combine that with Thiago’s prowess on the international stage and the decision seems even more loco.
Only a shin injury ruled him out of La Roja’s 2012 Euros triumph, yet the midfielder has still managed to accumulate a combined eight appearances between European and world championships. In a 2022 squad featuring underwhelming performers such as Atletico Madrid pair Koke and Marcos Llorente, as well as an ageing Sergio Busquets, Thiago can consider himself unlikely not to feature in Qatar. Like Firmino, he may not get another shot at a World Cup, especially if Luis Enrique remains at the helm.
Great for us that he gets the rest, but still absolutely baffling how Thiago gets left out of the Spain squad. pic.twitter.com/r5HawmpCcN
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) November 11, 2022
Joe Gomez (England)
Someone who should have plenty more World Cups left in the tank is England’s Joe Gomez, although the centre-back can also feel aggrieved at his omission for Qatar. The 25-year-old’s season has reflected that of the team’s – one of severe inconsistency – although at times he has shown maturity on the ball and an immense speed of recovery. In all, Gomez could have provided a breath of fresh air to an otherwise stale England backline.
Southgate’s inclusion of Eric Dier baffled many given that, despite his solid start to the season and ability to play in a back three, the centre-back produced a catalogue of errors in the direct lead-up to the tournament, one of which came against Liverpool themselves. Harry Maguire’s woes are well known by this point and Connor Coady, who himself has put in several fine individual performances, is playing for a struggling Everton side currently sitting in 17th. Liverpool and England fans alike will hope that Gomez’s omission won’t cost Southgate’s side in Qatar.
🚨 NEW: Joe Gomez isn’t expected to be named in England’s World Cup squad. #lfc [@David_Ornstein] pic.twitter.com/R2988MPBJ9
— Anfield Watch (@AnfieldWatch) November 10, 2022
While the above players can count themselves unfortunate, they will join the likes of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz and Andy Robertson in resting over the international break. For Liverpool, this can mean nothing but good news, as their top-four charge resumes on Boxing Day against Aston Villa.