The FIFA World Cup will feature some of the biggest names in the sport, but there are some major stars set to watch on from home. Here are five players we’re gutted are missing the 2026 tournament.
Robert Lewandowski (Poland)
The 2026 World Cup certainly feels like a farewell to some all-time greats. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric are all set to play at their final World Cup, three Ballon d’Or winners and a trio among the greatest of their generation.
A name who also fits into that category is Robert Lewandowski. Only a global pandemic prevented Lewandowski from taking a Ballon d’Or of his own, though he did claim The Best FIFA Men’s Player award in 2020 and 2021.
However, the Polish poacher will be absent this summer, after his nation fell short of qualification. The 37-year-old looks likely to have featured on this stage for the final time.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will hope he does not join the list of world-class players who never made a World Cup. Georgia upset the odds to reach Euro 2024 and impressed, but endured a dismal World Cup qualification campaign.
It means the Paris Saint-Germain superstar will spend the summer at home, after a club season that saw him sparkle on route to Champions League success.
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Nigeria were the biggest African nation to miss out on the World Cup, after losing their play-off on penalties to DR Congo. The absence of the Super Eagles means the World Cup will be without Galatasaray goal-getter Victor Osimhen.
The current game is short on elite number nines, but there’s an argument that Osimhen fits that bill. He’s scored 59 goals in 74 games for Galatasaray, including seven in 10 Champions League games this season.
Cole Palmer (England)
Cole Palmer’s snub was one of the biggest shocks of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, even amid a below-par season at Chelsea. Palmer is a player who has proven he can handle the pressure of the big stage, with goals in European Championship and Club World Cup finals to his name already.
Having shone during last summer’s Club World Cup in North America last summer, few saw Palmer missing out on a place on the plane with England.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary)
Fresh from a career-best campaign at Liverpool, Dominik Szoboszlai will spend this summer on the sidelines. Hungary lost out in the UEFA play-offs, despite the best efforts of their all-action captain.
Szoboszlai was a standout despite Liverpool’s poor season, where he often carried the Reds through games. A summer of rest will suit new head coach Andoni Iraola.
Read – FIFA World Cup: The top goalscorers in World Cup history
See more – Remembering the last five winners of the World Cup Golden Ball
