Injuries in Qatar 2022: reason, victims and the scandalous figure that affects the World Cup favorites

The World Cup Qatar 2022 It is disputed for the first time from the month of November. An atypical date that would be the main reason to explain the large number of injured players who will miss this great event. An ‘endemic’ disease that affected 20 of the 32 teams in the run-up to the most important national team championship, thus marking a historic milestone in this competition.

Even before the initial whistle of the match between Ecuador and Qatar, there were 40 injured soccer players, who had to resign themselves to putting out the flame of the World Cup dream. Some felt the blow more than others. The group of those who had already been processing it months ago, because the recovery times did not add up. Others that were falling along the way during the last weeks of competition for their clubs. Finally those who were called by their selections, but who finally had to be erased due to sudden injuries.

In search of explanations

Being left out of a World Cup due to injury is a fact that happens normally. After a long season in the most important leagues in the world (end of May), the players arrive with a large number of games on top of them, which end up taking its toll on their physical appearance. Weeks before the World Cup begins, the alarms begin to go off in each of the participating teams. However, all this makes more sense when the championship takes place in June.

Today, with the change in calendar, this fact has worsened to singular levels. The worst part of the matter is that from FIFA they were always aware that this could happen. UEFA, through a study, showed that November is the most critical month in terms of injuries. Various tests and measurements were carried out, having the penultimate month of the year as the most feared by the coaches who direct in Europe. The takeoff of the season -the leagues of the Old Continent began in August- added to the overload of matches that the footballers had to experience, this with the aim that the times fit perfectly with the start of the World Cup, were two variables they should never have entered into the same equation. The consequences are more than certainties.

Everything is contrasted with the report FIFA World Cup 2022 Player Workload Journey from FIFPRO, an organization that represents professional footballers worldwide. In this, the demanding charges that the main protagonists had to face were evidenced. “The significant reduction in the preparation and recovery periods before and after this 2022 FIFA World Cup™ poses an ominous threat to the health of the players and makes it difficult to optimize performance”says the study.

One of the most relevant data is the abysmal difference in the days of preparation for Qatar 2022 (7 days) compared to the rest of the last eight World Cups (average of 32 days).

Source: FIFPro

Four years ago…

Taking as a reference the injuries that occurred before the start of Russia 2018, DT was able to find that they came to register 22 cases. A number that at that time caused quite a surprise, but with what happened in Qatar it will only remain as one more figure in the annals of FIFA.

The main absent stars in Russian territory were Dani Alves (Brazil), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England), Sergio Romero (Argentina), Emre Can (Germany), Dimitri Payet (France) and Danilo Pereira (Portugal). The injury that was repeated the most was torn cruciate ligaments, whose rehabilitation can take between 5 and 7 months, according to specialists.

In this list we find an old acquaintance from Liga 1. It is Alberto Quintero. At that time, the brand new signing of Cieciano was excluded from the Panamanian team due to a fracture in the second metatarsal of his right foot. ‘Chiquitín’ lost the only opportunity to wear the colors of his team in a World Cup.

Injuries in the preview of Russia 2018

world headache

The last weeks of competition in Europe, before the World Cup break, were marked by unfortunate news that gave signs that something big was to come. One by one an unusual number of injured players were announced, either in training sessions, local league matches and international cups. In this case, unlike other World Cups, the clubs were in charge of announcing the bad news.

Without a doubt, the team that suffered the most was France. Didier Deschamps had to do without up to six players before launching his final call-up: Presnel Kimpembe, N’Golo Kanté, Paul Pogba, Wesley Fofana, Mike Maignan and Wissam Ben Yedder. The casualties that hurt the most were those of the Chelsea FC and Juventus midfielders, members of the 2018 World Cup. Germany was not left behind. The four-time champion of the contest will arrive in Qatar without Marco Reus, Timo Werner, Lukas Nmecha and Florian Wirtz.

There are 33 athletes ruled out, before the calls, to represent their country in this World Cup fair. The main injuries include: patellar tendon rupture, anterior cruciate ligament rupture and Achilles tendon rupture.

Injuries in the previous

´The blacklist is completed by players who had to be dismissed in recent days, many of them already installed on Qatari soil. Here, Karim Benzema Y Sadio Mane They are the most relevant absences, not only from France and Senegal, but also from the championship. They and all those named in this note will be this time like us, on the other side of the television. Take note FIFA!

breaking injuries