From Pulisic to Buffon, the best XI who failed to qualify for Russia 2018
Giorgio Chiellini (Italy)
The rugged center-back and Juventus teammate of Gianluigi Buffon is another player we won’t see in Russia. It could have also been the last chance for the 33-year-old defender to appear at a World Cup. Although Chiellini has yet to say whether he plans to retire from international duty, it is unlikely he will stick around in time for Qatar 2022.
Chiellini made his Italy debut in 2004 and has amassed 96 caps and eight goals since then. Over the years, he has become known for his hard-tackling and aggressive style. He has been able to do it all, including scoring the goal that lifted the Azzurri past the Czech Republic to qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
Continuing the tradition of great Italian defenders, Chiellini wasn’t enough to stop Sweden from scoring the goal that got them into the World Cup. He truly is the last of his kind. Chiellini’s no-nonsense approach to the game is something we will all miss on the global stage.
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands)
The towering Dutch center-back burst onto the international stage upon making his debut for the Netherlands in 2015, earning 14 caps since his first game for the Oranje. Since then, the 26-year-old Southampton defender has emerged as one of the world’s best defenders. But Holland’s inability to qualify for the World Cup means we will all be deprived of the chance to see van Dijk take on some of the planet’s best strikers.
Van Dijk was linked to Liverpool this past summer, but the central defender stayed put. At the same time, he tried to bring stability to leaky Dutch backline over the past few months as the Netherlands tried in vain to earn a playoff spot for the chance to make the World Cup. Instead, the three-time World Cup runners-up failed to get the spot that eventually went to Sweden.
Unlike his fellow center-back Chiellini, It’s not the end of the line for van Dijk. He still has the chance to play at a World Cup (what would be his first) should the Netherlands rebuild and qualify for the 2022 edition.
Antonio Valencia (Ecuador)
After failing to make it out of the competitive South American round of World Cup qualifying, Ecuador remain a proud soccer nation. Among their most-talented players is veteran right-back Antonio Valencia.
The Manchester United star, who played as a winger for much of his career, made his national team debut in 2004. The 32-year-old has amassed 92 caps for Ecuador and tallied 10 goals. Valencia played for Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup and captained the national team at the 2014 World Cup, playing in all three games at that tournament before being eliminated.
Valencia has been a staple of South American and English soccer over the past 10 years. He made his Premier League debut in 2006 with Wigan before signing with Manchester United in 2009. He has become known for his speed, agility and ball distribution skills. We won’t be seeing any of that from him in Russia come June.
David Alaba (Austria)
On the left flank is David Alaba. The 25-year-old Austrian has been part of the Bayern Munich youth system since 2009 and became a member of the first team in 2011 at age 19. Alaba’s success at the club level led to him making his Austria debut in 2009, recording 59 caps and 11 goals. It all culminated with him winning Austrian Footballer of the Year honors in 2011.
Alaba’s mother is from the Philippines and his father hails from Nigeria. Alaba is a left-back who can also play as a center-back and even in midfield. He has become known for his flawless ability to pass the ball, play with confidence and help build plays from the back. Alaba is also fast and gifted with technical abilities. He’s exactly the type of player we would have loved to have seen at a World Cup.
While Alaba’s club career has taken off at Bayern Munich, he will need to hold out hope that Austria can get stronger in the coming years. The team came up short for Russia after they finished fourth in Group D with 15 points behind Serbia, Ireland and Wales.