Kvaratskhelia, the World Cup and absent friends
A long look at those who missed out on the greatest show on earth
There will be 1,104 outfield players at the World Cup this summer but not Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The Georgian left winger will grace the Champions League final for Paris St-Germain (again) but will follow the great George Best in missing out on the grandest stage of all. So is Kvaratskhelia the Georgian Best? The World Cup will certainly miss a player of his thrilling calibre just as it missed Best, Alfredo di Stefano, George Weah, Ryan Giggs and a host of other club stars. Absent friends.
Maybe that’s one of the reasons why delivering for PS-G matters so much for Kvaratskhelia. It’s his biggest platform and even more significant currently amidst all the World Cup build-up chatter. Kvaratskhelia doesn’t seem the type driven by ego or desire for personal accolades. He’s a committed team player as demanded by Luis Enrique, PS-G’s inspirational head coach. Kvaratskhelia works hard out of position, tracking back to assist Nuno Mendes. That strength will be useful against Arsenal and Bukayo Saka in the May 30 final in Budapest.
It seems even madder with a World Cup expanded to 48 that Kvaratskhelia is absent. Some stars never reached World Cups because the supporting cast simply weren’t good enough. Yet Georgia have some decent players, including Giorgi Mamardashvili of Liverpool in goal and the Lyon-born Villarreal striker, Georges Mikautadze, who has 23 goals in 43 internationals.
Sometimes it can simply be the challenge of a tough qualifying draw. Georgia, ranked 72 in the world, were pitted against European champions Spain, ranked two in the world, and 22nd-ranked Turkey. Georgia finished third with three points from defeating Bulgaria 3-0 in Tblisi, Kvaratskhelia opening the scoring. They were 10 points behind second-placed Turkey, who advanced via the play-offs, and 13 behind Spain in UEFA Group E. The odds were always against Kvaratskhelia.
Some absences are self-inflicted or simply down to timing. Best was hailed by Franz Beckenbauer as “one of the most talented players of all time” and “probably the best footballer who never made it to a major world final”. Northern Ireland just missed out on 66 when Best was 19 (during qualifying). His career largely came between two strong eras of Northern Ireland football, the age of the Blanchflowers and the Billy Bingham group that shocked Spain at the 1982 World Cup.