The Best Players to never appear in a World Cup, Part Six

1- Dean Saunders

Like his contemporaries, Mark Hughes and Ian Rush, Welsh striker Dean Saunders represented his Nation (80s-90s) at a time when they were unable or unlucky to qualify for the Finals of any Tournament.

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2366 , August 13, 1991

(Dean Saunders at Liverpool, 1991/92)

2- Gioavne Elber

1990s Brazilian forward Giovane Elber’s only made sporadic appearances for Brazil despite going to Europe at a young age and especially impressing in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart and Bayern Munich. His best opportunity would have been the 1998 World Cup, but with Ronaldo and others ahead of him, he was overlooked.

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 122, March 1999

(Giovane Elber at Bayern Munich)

3- Humberto Coelho

Long serving Benfica (late 60s-early 80s, two years with Paris St. Germain in between) defender Humberto Coelho like many of his Portuguese contemporaries missed as much as Four World Cups as Portugal were unable to qualify for any of them

Photo From: Onze, Issue 89, May 1983

(Humberto Coelho at Benfica)

4- Jocelyn Angloma

French Defender Jocelyn Angloma’s best chance to appear in a World Cup would have been the 1994 World Cup. Unfortunately for him, the French were eliminated by Bulgaria in their Final Qualifier on November 17, 1993 (France 1-Bulgaria 2).

Photo From: Onze-Mondial, Issue 144, January 2001

(Jocelyn Angloma at Valencia)

5- Duncan Edwards

21 year old Duncan Edwards would surely have appeared in the 1958 World Cup and perhaps many more had he not perished with many of his Manchester United Teammates at Munich on February 21, 1958.

Photo From: England, Player By Player, Author: Graham Betts

(Duncan Edwards)