The full squad list for Qatar 2022 has been revealed, revealing the players who will join the exclusive ‘5 World Cup Clubs’. This is a player who will or has already made five World Cup appearances.
Before the Qatar match, only four players in history had achieved this: Antonio Carvajal, Gianluigi Buffon, Rafa Marquez, Lothar Matthäus.
In the coming days and weeks in Qatar, 2022 will be the fifth World Cup, with four more.
Qatar’s fifth World Cup appearance?
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 17 games, 1,474 minutes)The Portuguese star will make his fifth World Cup appearance in Qatar.
He hasn’t missed a single since making his debut in 2006.
He has made 17 appearances in the World Cup so far, and even if he played in the Qatar final, he would not be able to break Mateusz’s record of 25.
Lionel Messi (Argentina, 19 matches 1,624 minutes). Same as Cristiano. He started his 2006 defeat against Germany as a substitute.
He reached the final in Brazil in 2014, but has yet to win the crown. So far he has more games than Cristiano: 19.
If he does well in Qatar and reaches the semi-finals, he could add seven games to reach the divine 26.
“Memo” Ochoa (Mexico, 8 years old)Ochoa, the greatest Mexican goalkeeper of all time according to the Mexican himself, will be in his fifth World Cup, but has only played eight games as he came off as a substitute in several World Cups.
Andrés Guardado (Mexico, 12 years old). The Mexican captain will also qualify for the fifth World Cup. Guardado has made 12 appearances at the World Cup and will play even more in Qatar, but he won’t always be a starter as the midfield will be more competitive.
He and “Memo” manage the Mexican dressing room. Like Ochoa, Mexico has always been eliminated in the round of 16, so he has never experienced the joy of playing his five matches in one tournament.
And these are the other four players who have already appeared in five World Cups. Those who have already been confirmed as lifetime members of the club:
Tota Carvajal (Mexico, 11 years old)Antonio played in 66 World Cups in 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, making a total of 11 appearances.
He was Mexico’s goalkeeper at the time, but he didn’t play in all those World Cup games.
‘Gigi’ Buffon (Italy, 14 years old)A unique case. He has appeared in his five World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014), and Italy failed to qualify him for Russia 2018. For one reason only, he was unable to form his own, even more exclusive club, which consisted of his six World Cups.
However, it should be clarified that although he is said to have “attended” five World Cups, he has only played four as he did not play a minute in 1998. He became world champion in his 2006 year. He has his 14 World Cup matches.
Rafa Marquez. (Mexico, 19 years old)Another Mexican on the list with 19 games and five World Cups since 2002. The last one in Russia was mostly a testimony, but he was there and appeared in three games. .
Like all Mexicans at this club, he didn’t advance past the cursed barrier of ‘El Tori’ in Round 16 on all five occasions.
Lothar Matthaus (Germany, 25)Saved “World Cup Champions” for last. Lothar Matthäus is the player with the most matches in World Cup history (25) and in Qatar Lionel Messi could only beat or match him.
Rotor played from 1982 to 1998, was champion in 1990 and was runner-up in the previous two World Cups, Spain ’82 and Mexico ’86. It will be difficult to beat him.
Interestingly, Lotor is the player with the most appearances, but not the player with the most appearances in World Cup history. Paolo Maldini (Italy) takes the honor with his 2,217 minutes to Mateus’ 2,047 minutes.
And finally, some stars have had their dreams dashed by five World Cups this year. Like Sergio Ramos, in his four World Cup tournaments he will make 17 appearances.
Luis Enrique has chosen not to recruit an experienced defender to make history in Qatar.
