As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, a number of high-profile players are set to miss the tournament, leaving fans disappointed after several major nations failed to qualify.
According to İdman.Biz, the most notable absences come from Europe, with Italy national football team failing to qualify for the third consecutive time. This means stars such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Sandro Tonali and Mateo Retegui will not feature at the tournament.
Elsewhere, prolific Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Hungary’s key midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai are also among those set to miss out.
Africa has also seen major names excluded, including Nigeria’s leading forward Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, as well as Bryan Mbeumo and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Veteran goalkeeper Keylor Navas will also be absent from the global stage.
Other notable players set to watch the tournament from the sidelines include Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Dušan Vlahović, Jan Oblak, as well as Denmark internationals Rasmus Højlund and Christian Eriksen.
The expanded 48-team format was expected to open the door for more nations, yet several traditional football powers still fell short, highlighting the increasing competitiveness of international qualification.
