World Cup - Desire of many, privilege of few

^{Written by: Alan Martins}

Whether due to disagreements or a country's failure to qualify, the fact is that the players listed below have never played in a World Cup. Good players, or stars of their generation, discover who they are and why they didn't get the chance to compete in the tournament. The World Cup brings together the best teams in the world; however, although some have stars on their roster, a single player can't qualify an entire team for the tournament. Some were undisciplined and, as punishment (at the coaches' discretion), were not called up, while others were injured. Ultimately, the World Cup is the one that loses out by not having these prestigious players competing in the world's biggest sporting event, where they can showcase their skills.

ALEX (Brazil)

An idol in Turkey, and also a success with clubs like Cruzeiro and Palmeiras, Alex was left out of the 2002 Brazil squad that would go on to win the fifth World Cup. A member of the national team since 1998, he was involved throughout the process that led the team to qualify for the championship. However, in the main squad, then-coach Felipão decided to replace him with the young Kaká, who was 20 at the time.

GEORGE WEAH (Liberia)

The current president of Liberia, Weah was named the world's best player in 1995 and finished second in 1996 (the winner that year was Ronaldo). Weah established his career playing for AC Milan. Liberia has never played in a World Cup. With Weah on the team, they came close to qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, but fell just one point behind Nigeria in the African qualifiers.

NETO (Brazil)

Besides playing for major clubs like São Paulo, Santos, and Palmeiras, it was at Corinthians that the player made his mark, being crowned the best player in the team's first Brazilian championship title in 1990. That same year, the World Cup was held in Italy. However, coach Sebastião Lazaroni failed to take into account the impressive form Neto was having in Brazilian football and ended up leaving him out of the squad. In an interview with ESPN, Lazaroni said that Neto seemed to him to be merely a good set-piece taker, and he also criticized the player's behavior off the field.

ÉRIC CANTONA (France)

Before Zidane, Cantona was the one who shone for France. Controversial and skillful, he made his mark with Manchester United. Disciplinary issues prevented him from being called up for the 1998 World Cup in France. He attacked a fan while leaving the field after being sent off in a 1995 match against Crystal Palace. He was suspended from football for nine months. Cantona already had a history of insulting his former coach, spitting on a fan, and receiving several expulsions for insulting referees. At the age of 30, he announced the end of his