Rueda: South America World Cup sorrows due to European-based stars

South America failed to produce a World Cup winning side for about 20 years as a lot of their star players are spread around the world, according to

coach

Reinaldo Rueda

.

The last nation from South America to win football’s biggest price were

as they grabbed the trophy at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

After that, it was Italy, Spain, Germany and France to have gotten the title and it was only Argentina who came close and finished second at Brazil 2014.

Brazil and Argentina are going to be named among the favorites to win at Qatar

as they showed off impressive qualification campaigns.

Before Colombia’s last qualifying match with Venezuela, Rueda gave an explanation for the reason behind CONMEBOL sides not living up to expectations during the last four editions.

"

Without doubt, [players playing in Europe] has always been our biggest worry, the problem that we have in South America,"

Rueda stated.

"I have said so many times.

"South America, with the potential and talent that it has, we are approaching now 20 years without a World Cup winner because of that situation.

"Because our biggest talents go to Europe and for some of them, it is difficult, depending on the percentage of those players that are in the national teams, to respond in the same way.

"Then players coming from Europe must attend two or three tournaments. South America has been a victim of this problem in the last 20 years

"That has been a factor that explains why strong national teams haven't been able to consolidate good performances and to win a world title that hasn't happened since 2002."

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