The Qatar World Cup is less than two months away and getting closer by the day. Unquestionably, the World Cup is the largest sporting event of the year, and millions, if not billions, of spectators, will be anticipating each match. Furthermore, if we take the volume of visitors to websites like Betway Sportsbook as a sign of the fans’ interest in the competition. Then, it will be a historic event as fans resort to these sites in historical numbers to examine the Betway Sportsbook World Cup betting odds of their favourite teams.
There were 32 spots available for the teams to compete in the competition for the Qatar edition. Representing their nations in the coveted showcase competition is reserved only for those who advanced from the challenging World Cup Qualifiers.
We look at a few renowned teams who failed to pass the qualification rounds. We’re talking about elite teams with elite players here.
Italy
Italy, a four-time world cup champion, was left out, which is the most stunning decision. Italy is also the defending European champs, which is why Azzurri’s withdrawal has surprised the football world.
Italy won’t participate in two FIFA World Cups in a row for the first time in their history. Italy lost to North Macedonia 1-0 in the playoff semifinal, with the players appearing to be under too much heat. The most recent Italy World Cup debut, which took place in Brazil in 2014, concluded in the group stage.
Colombia
Talk about a close call. Just one point separated Colombia from qualifying. Peru edged Colombia by one point in the championship, shattering the hopes of the 2001 Copa America champions.
They advanced to the last 16 in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2014, but they won’t compete in 2022. At the World Cup, renowned players like Juan Cuadrado, James Rodriguez, and Luis Diaz will be missed by football fans.
Sweden
The country that advanced to the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals will now watch the competition from home. Sweden fell to Poland 0-2 in the decisive match.
Sweden’s men’s national team is currently ranked 19th in the world and is the second-highest-ranked team from Europe not to advance. Several of the nation’s top athletes, including Victor Lindelof, Emil Forsberg, and Dejan Kulusevski, will not compete at the World Cup.
Final Thoughts
Of all these teams, Italy is the most surprising because it was the European champion in 2020, and many consider the squad one of the strongest in Europe.
Finally, failing to qualify for this tournament indicates that these teams might need a few more years of teamwork before reaching the pinnacle.
