As of now, practically all of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers have been selected, with several of the confederations having finished their qualifying stages. The United States and Canada are among the returnees on the world’s largest stage, while Ecuador and Ghana also return.
Qatar, the host nation, will also compete in their first FIFA World Cup. The 2022 FIFA World Cup group stage draw will take place on Friday, April 1, 2022, when the teams will learn their opponents.
Every World Cup, there are generally a few nations that narrowly lose out on qualification. Italy, the Netherlands, Chile, and the United States were among the countries that missed out in 2018. Denmark, Sweden, and Serbia failed to qualify for the tournament in 2014.
Some countries will be eliminated from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a similar method after failing to qualify for the tournament. Without further ado, here is a list of the top five countries that will not be competing in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Top 5 highest ranked nations who will not compete in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
5. Austria: Rank 30
Ended up fighting bravely, Austria’s captain David Alaba cut a heartbroken figure as his team missed out on the World Cup in Qatar. In the playoff semifinals versus Wales, they were defeated by Gareth Bale’s brilliance.
Austria last competed in the FIFA World Cup in 1998 but was eliminated in the group stage. They finished fourth in their qualifying group behind Denmark, Scotland, and Israel this time, but were able to qualify for the playoffs thanks to their UEFA Nations League result. They were dropped from the qualifying rounds after losing 2-1 to Wales in the playoffs.
4. Chile: Rank 26
Chile will not be represented in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar for the second consecutive year after failing to qualify through CONMEBOL. Despite having a plethora of talented players dispersed throughout Europe, the Chilean national team was unable to make an impression in qualifying.
Only Paraguay, Bolivia, and Venezuela had a poorer record than Chile, which placed seventh in the ten-team league. Nine of the team’s 18 qualifying matches were lost, while only five were won. Despite the rise of Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton, the team was unable to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
3. Colombia: Rank 19
Colombia has failed to achieve the same heights in the competition after impressing at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 stage of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and have now failed to qualify for the tournament at all.
Colombia came in the sixth position in the CONMEBOL qualifying campaign, just missing out on a spot in the intercontinental playoffs. In the qualifications, they only won five of their 18 matches. During the qualifications, they were without star midfielder James Rodriguez for significant periods.
2. Sweden: Rank 17
After the comeback to the international football of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sweden’s young guns were unable to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The Swedes were knocked out of the playoffs by Robert Lewandowski and the Polish national team.
Sweden came second to Spain in the first round of the European qualifiers, relegating them to the playoffs. Poland trounced them 2-0, putting an end to their hopes of returning to the World Cup.
1. Italy: Rank 6
Italy will miss two FIFA World Cups in a row for the first time in their history. The weight of the occasion appeared to be too much for the Italian players, as they lost 1-0 to North Macedonia in the playoff semifinals.
Italy’s last World Cup debut, in Brazil in 2014, ended in the group stage. Since then, they’ve been rebuilding, and many believed they’d returned after winning Euro 2020. However, they have not been at their best since then, and they have resembled previous Italy teams who have struggled.
