World Cup 2026: Qualification failures and injuries sideline global football stars
National team qualification failures and severe injuries have removed key figures from the tournament, including Italy’s Donnarumma, Brazil’s Rodrygo, and Poland’s Lewandowski.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America will proceed without several of the sport’s most prominent figures, as reported by Al Jazeera. The exclusions stem from two distinct categories: national teams failing to secure qualification spots and individual players suffering significant injuries. This results in a tournament field that lacks established talents from nations such as Italy, Poland, Georgia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Slovenia, and Hungary, alongside key players from qualified nations who are sidelined by physical setbacks.
Italy’s absence marks a historic downturn for the former champions, who have missed the World Cup for three consecutive times. The last Italian appearance was in 2014, when the team exited in the group stage. Consequently, star goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and midfielder Sandro Tonali will not participate. Italian media have characterised this streak as a "World Cup curse," leaving some of the finest Azzurri talents out of the competition.
In Africa, Nigeria’s failure to qualify represents a significant shift, as the Super Eagles have missed successive World Cup finals for the first time in 36 years. Following a penalty shootout defeat to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the African playoffs, fans will not see lookman, who was a standout at AFCON 2025, or striker Victor Osimhen. Similarly, Cameroon missed the tournament after losing to DR Congo in the semifinals of the African playoffs, ruling out Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo.
Eastern European nations also face exclusion. Poland narrowly missed qualification, leading Robert Lewandowski to hint at international retirement, though he has not confirmed the decision. The 37-year-old Barcelona striker, who holds the record for most goals for Poland, will miss the tournament. Georgia, Slovenia, and Hungary also failed to qualify, meaning players such as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Jan Oblak, and Dominik Szoboszlai will not be present.
Injuries have further depleted the squads of qualified nations. France’s forward Randal Kolo Muani’s teammate, Ekitike, ruptured his Achilles tendon in April while playing for Liverpool and is expected to be sidelined until January 2027. Brazil’s situation is similarly severe, with winger Estevao suffering a grade four hamstring injury at Chelsea and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo tearing his meniscus and ACL in March. Rodrygo is expected to be out until the end of 2026.
Other notable absences include Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, who suffered an ACL injury while playing for Tottenham Hotspur. England omitted Cole Palmer and Phil Foden from their squad following disappointing club seasons. Additionally, Spain’s Fermin Lopez requires foot surgery, Germany’s Serge Gnabry has a torn adductor, and Japan’s Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma are ruled out with ACL and hamstring injuries respectively. Brazil also dropped Eder Militao, Joao Pedro, and Richarlison due to injuries.
