Cantona to Ryan Giggs: 10 Football Legends who never played World Cup

Football Legends who never played World Cup: The FIFA World Cup is the top event in soccer—a big match where legends grow, hopes come true, and history is made. Yet, some top players, with great club success and world fame, never got to play on this big soccer field.

From Ryan Giggs to Eric Cantona, and newer stars like Erling Haaland, here’s a list of famous soccer stars who never played in a FIFA World Cup, with the reasons why.

Top 10 Football Legends who never played World Cup

One of the most known players in English soccer, Ryan Giggs was with Manchester United for 24 years, winning 13 Premier League titles and 2 Champions Leagues. But, his time with Wales did not shine as much. The team, called the Dragons, did not make it to the World Cup while he played, almost making it in 1994.

Eric Cantona (France)

King Eric totally changed English football with his personality and talent when he played for Manchester United. It’s too bad he didn’t get to play in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups because France didn’t make to qualify. By 1998, after that famous kung-fu kick incident, he was no longer part of the national team.

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Andrew Cole (England)

Andy Cole is a Premier League legend, scoring 187 goals. He was super important for Newcastle and Manchester United. Still, he only scored once in 15 games for England. Even though he was awesome at the club level, he never got to play in a World Cup.

George Best is seen by many as one of the all-time British greats. His awesome skills impressed fans everywhere. Sadly, Northern Ireland made it to the World Cup right before and right after he played, but never while he was on the team. Talk about bad timing!

Ian Rush (Wales)

Ian Rush remains Liverpool’s all-time goal-scorer in club football, with 339 goals and 28 for Wales. However, Wales never qualified for the World Cup during his time as a player.

David Ginola was a cultural icon, showcasing flair and technique that made him an immediate fan-favorite in the Premier League. His international career was tainted after he failed to qualify France for the 1994 World Cup in a qualifying match vs Bulgaria, and after that mistake he could no longer get back into the national team selectors good books.

Alfredo Di Stefano (Argentina/Spain)

Brazilian star King Pelé called him the greatest footballer of all time, yet Real Madrid’s legendary forward endured the cruelest World Cup luck imaginable. He was eligible for Argentina, Colombia, and Spain, but Argentina withdrew from 1950 qualifying due to strikes and failed to qualify in 1954, while Spain missed out in 1958. When Di Stefano finally reached the 1962 finals, injury struck in training, forcing him to watch helplessly from the sidelines.

Erling Haaland (Norway)

Erling Haaland is a strong player who scares a lot of teams. He broke many records in the Premier League. But, Norway hasn’t made it to the World Cup yet while he’s been playing. He’s only 24, so he still has time.

Abedi Pele won the African Footballer of the Year three times and shone his best moments at Marseille in Europe. Yet, Ghana didn’t get to the World Cup when he was playing. It’s became one of the sad tales in football.

Jari Litmanen helped Ajax win the 1995 Champions League and played for Finland 137 times. Still, Finland never got to a big event like the World Cup, keeping him out of some big parts of World Cup history.

There is irony in football, much like many things in life. There may be no irony more painful than world-class star players who never even played a minute in a FIFA World Cup. Trophies and goals certainly qualify a player’s legacy, but for many players, there is no greater validation than being a member of a World Cup team. These players had everything—talent, success, prestige—but failed to get to the biggest celebration of the game for a reason: fate, timing or national misfortune.