Major stars absent from the 2026 World Cup

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a host of stars such as Lewandowski, Donnarumma, and Osimhen have missed out due to injuries or their national teams failing to qualify.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, many top stars have missed out early due to serious injuries or a lack of playing time with their national teams. Some absences are due to demanding club schedules, while others stem from a prolonged decline in form.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)

The Paris Saint-Germain winger will not be going to North America because Georgia failed to qualify. This is another major disappointment for Kvaratskhelia, as he has yet to play in a World Cup.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates her team's fifth goal on March 11. (Source: Reuters)

The 25-year-old player just had an impressive season with PSG and is considered one of the most dangerous wingers in Europe today. His biggest achievement with the Georgia national team so far is reaching the round of 16 at Euro 2024.

This player is the first in history to win the titles in two of Europe's top domestic leagues simultaneously. He played a major role in helping PSG reach two consecutive Champions League finals.

Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Poland missed out on the 2026 World Cup after a narrow defeat in the qualifying round, meaning Lewandowski had to end his dream of participating in the world's biggest football tournament. After the final match in March, the Barcelona striker left the field in tears and hinted at the possibility of retiring from the national team.

Lewandowski remains in top form at the age of 37. He has played 165 games for Poland and scored 89 goals – almost double the number scored by any other player from the country. However, he has only participated in two World Cups, with his best performance being reaching the round of 16 in 2022.

Robert Lewandowski is set to leave Barcelona after four years with the club. (Source: Reuters)

Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sandro Tonali (Italy)

For the third consecutive time, the Italian national team failed to qualify for the World Cup. Fans will miss out on many of the Azzurri's top stars at the biggest football event on the planet, including goalkeeper Donnarumma and midfielder Tonali.

Donnarumma has yet to play in a World Cup, despite having nearly 80 caps for Italy and being a key player in their Euro 2020 victory. Meanwhile, Tonali is a versatile midfielder with the ability to recover the ball, control the tempo, and deliver incisive passes.

Following their shocking penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the play-off round, Italy became the first world champions to miss three consecutive World Cups. The Azzurri's last World Cup appearance was in 2014, when they were eliminated in the group stage in Brazil. Italian media dubbed this the "World Cup curse."

Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)

Georgia failed to spring a surprise in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The "Super Eagles" had hoped to make their mark in North America, but that dream ended after a penalty shootout defeat against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African play-off round.

Lookman and Osimhen helped Nigeria advance to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations. (Source: Reuters)

Fans will therefore not get to see the attacking duo of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman at this year's tournament. Osimhen remains one of the most dangerous center forwards in the world thanks to his speed, versatile finishing ability, and superior physical strength. Lookman brings flexibility, speed, and the ability to create breakthroughs at the front.

The duo have been pillars of the Nigerian national team for many years. Their absence from two consecutive World Cups is also unprecedented for them in the past 36 years.

Hugo Ekitike (France)

French striker Ekitike's dream of making his first World Cup appearance ended after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during the match between Liverpool and PSG in April.

This serious injury could sideline the 23-year-old striker until early 2027. During the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Anfield, Ekitike broke down in tears as he was stretchered off the pitch.

At the start of the 2025-2026 season, Ekitike wasn't a priority name in the French national team. However, his impressive form for Liverpool, with 17 goals in all competitions before his injury, has given him a strong chance of competing for a place in Didier Deschamps' World Cup squad.

Liverpool's Hugo Ekite is pictured challenging for Paris Saint-Germain's Warren Zaire-Emery. (Source: Reuters)

Estevao and Rodrygo (Brazil)

Estevao – one of the most promising young talents in world football – was once expected to make his World Cup debut for Brazil.

However, a serious hamstring injury shattered that dream. The 19-year-old winger suffered a grade 4 hamstring injury while playing for Chelsea in April, thus being unable to be included in Brazil's squad for the 2026 World Cup.

After moving from Palmeiras to Chelsea in May 2024, Estevao quickly impressed in his first season in England with 8 goals and 4 assists. He also gradually earned the trust of the Brazilian national team under coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Not only Estevao, but Rodrygo will also be absent from the World Cup. The Real Madrid winger suffered a serious injury to his right knee. He sustained a torn meniscus and ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, preventing him from participating in this year's tournament. Rodrygo sustained the injury while playing for Real Madrid in March. The 25-year-old is expected to be out of action until the end of 2026.

Xavi Simons (Netherlands)

Attacking midfielder Simons will miss the 2026 World Cup with the Netherlands after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the Premier League match between Tottenham and Wolverhampton.

Ligament injuries show that players need months to recover physically, but it takes even longer to regain their match fitness.

Xavi Simons of the Netherlands national team missed the World Cup after suffering a knee injury. (Source: Reuters)

The 23-year-old is considered one of the key players in coach Ronald Koeman's plans for his second World Cup appearance, following his first in 2022. To date, Simons has made 34 appearances for the Netherlands national team. His most recent appearance was in a friendly match in March.

Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)

Cameroon's failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup is considered a major surprise, as the "Indomitable Lions" are the African team with the most World Cup appearances, having participated eight times.

The defeat against the Democratic Republic of Congo in the semi-finals of the African qualifying round ended Cameroon's dream of reaching North America. This also means Bryan Mbeumo will miss the opportunity to participate in the biggest football event on the planet.

The striker has just had a very impressive season with Manchester United, scoring 10 goals and providing 3 assists in all competitions.

Khanh Ly

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/nhung-ngoi-sao-lon-vang-mat-tai-world-cup-2026-ar1019617.html