Every player aspires of playing in an event as famous as the FIFA World Cup.
They were iconic players who accomplished everything at club level but never appeared in a FIFA World Cup.
With the 2022 FIFA World Cup just around the corner, let's take a look at the five greatest stars that have never competed in the competition.
Dimitar Berbatov, No. 5 (Bulgaria)
Dimitar Berbatov, arguably one of the best ball-controlling attackers of his generation, began his professional career with CSKA Sofia and went on to play for clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
In 178 appearances for England, he scored 75 goals, establishing himself as one of the finest lethal weapons in front of goal.
He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010. He played for the Bulgarian national team for over ten years.
Despite his performances, he was never selected for the FIFA World Cup Tournament, scoring 48 goals in 78 appearances for Bulgaria.
George Weah, No. 4 (Liberia)
George Weah, regarded as one of Africa's finest players, earned the FIFA World Cup Player of the Year and the Ballon D'Or in 1995.
He is the first and only African player to win the Ballon d'Or.
George Weah played for a number of great clubs in Europe, including AC Milan and PSG, where he won major titles.
In 1996, he finished second to Ronaldo Nazario in the World Player of the Year voting, and he has also played for Liberia in two African Cup of Nations championships.
Throughout his playing career, he was never selected for the FIFA World Cup.
Ryan Giggs (#3) (Wales)
After defeating Ukraine in the playoffs, Wales qualified for their first FIFA World Cup event in 64 years.
Take a bow, Ryan Giggs, the manager of the Wales national team, who failed to lead his country to the FIFA World Cup as a player but has now done so as their manager.
The Wales manager had a fantastic career with Manchester United, winning everything there was to win at the club, both domestically and internationally.
Eric Cantona is number two (France)
It's incredible to think that a player of Eric Cantona's stature has never played in the FIFA World Cup.
Eric Cantona's international career did not go as planned. He was an unpredictable genius and a lightning weapon in the final third.
Before joining Manchester United, the former French international played for Leeds United in 1992, helping them win their first league title in 18 years.
Cantona scored 82 goals in 185 games for the Old Trafford faithful, winning four Premier League titles in the process.
However, as France failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994, his international career came to an end.
Ian Rush is number one (Wales)
Ian Rush was one of England's premier predators, scoring 346 goals in 660 appearances over his two periods with the Merseyside Reds.
In the interim, he played for Juventus in Seria A, although his time with the Italian giants was short-lived.
Despite this, he was a key member of Wales' national team, scoring the most goals until Gareth Bale overtook him in 2018.
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