The biggest stars who will miss the 2026 World Cup
With the final play-offs now resolved, the 48 teams that will contest the 2026 World Cup have been finalized. This will be the first time the tournament has been held in this expanded format and will bring together the world's best teams in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. However, as with every edition, the conclusion of the qualifiers has also left a list of significant absences, with several of international football's biggest stars watching the tournament from home.
TL;DR
- The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded 48 teams across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
- Several prominent international football stars will not participate in the tournament.
- Notable absentees include Nigeria's Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, and Cameroon's Bryan Mbeumo and André-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
- Robert Lewandowski's Poland and Italy, featuring stars like Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sandro Tonali, failed to qualify.
- Other significant absences include Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary), Benjamin Sesko, Jan Oblak (Slovenia), and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia).
- From South America, Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal will also miss the event.
- The exclusion of these high-caliber players underscores the difficulty of qualifying, even with an expanded tournament format.