As the 2026 World Cup approaches, the structure of the tournament is rapidly taking shape. Thanks to a successful qualification campaign, a total of 32 teams have already secured spots in the United States, Canada and Mexico. England supporters, there is no need to worry. The Three Lions are also among those who have qualified. Several other powerhouses are also scheduled to compete in the World Cup, including Argentina, Brazil, France, and Portugal.
The expanded format of the World Cup allows many smaller countries to qualify, including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Paraguay. Unfortunately, some teams had disastrous qualifying campaigns and decided not to participate. This could mean some big names will be watching the tournament from their living rooms rather than playing on the pitch. Here are some examples…
Benjamin Sesko – Slovenia
Manchester United’s £74m summer signing, striker Benjamin Sesco, has been one of his country’s most promising players in recent years. Despite his undeniable talent, he has not been able to help Slovenia qualify for the World Cup.
Their campaign was disastrous, failing to pick up a win in their first five games. A loss to winless Sweden on Tuesday night could send Slovenia to the bottom of their group.
Andre Onana and Brian Mbeumo – Cameroon
Cameroon’s failure to qualify means United will retain even more players for the duration of the World Cup, as goalkeepers Andre Onana and Brian Mbeumo, currently on loan at Trabzonspor, will be sidelined next summer.
Former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba scored a late winner as the African side faced the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday in a bid to reach the play-off final.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez – Hungary
Meanwhile, some of Liverpool’s star players will be mere spectators during the World Cup. Hungary took a 2-1 lead in the decisive clash against the Republic of Ireland and looked well placed to at least secure a place in the play-offs.
However, in Budapest, Troy Parrott’s hat-trick changed the course of the game, resulting in a crushing defeat. As a result, Hungary finished third in their group and missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, meaning Liverpool’s duo Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkes will not take part in the tournament.
Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman – Nigeria
Nigeria, who missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, will miss the tournament for the second consecutive time. They advanced to the final of the playoff tournament, where they faced the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nigeria took an early lead thanks to Frank Onyeka, but ultimately lost on penalties. The failure means several star players will be absent from the competition, including Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, Fulham’s Alex Iwobi and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon
A familiar name to Premier League fans, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a successful spell at Arsenal before moving to Barcelona, Chelsea and Saudi Arabia. Despite his efforts, Gabon has never qualified for a World Cup, and recent attempts have also been disappointing.
Despite ex-Southampton player Mario Lemina’s late goal forcing extra time, they lost to Nigeria in the international round.
Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrović – Serbia
Serbia, who were in England’s qualifying group, narrowly missed out on at least qualifying for the play-offs. In the final match, they defeated Latvia 2-1, leaving them only one point behind Albania.
As a result, Juventus’ talented forwards such as Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrović will not play next summer.
