The qualification process for the 2026 World Cup is slowly but surely coming to an end, with several big-name players already set to miss out on qualifying for the tournament after disastrous campaigns.
With just a few months left until the 2026 World Cup, the tournament is rapidly starting to take shape. Following a successful qualifying campaign, 32 teams have already earned tickets to the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Don’t worry, England fans. The Three Lions are already among them. A number of other big names have already qualified for the World Cup, including Argentina, Brazil, France and Portugal.
The expanded format of the World Cup also allowed a number of smaller teams to qualify, including Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Paraguay. Unfortunately, several other teams have had disastrous qualifying campaigns and will not be participating.
And there could be a number of big names sitting on the couch instead of on the pitch during the tournament. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
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Benjamin Sesko – Slovenia
Striker Benjamin Sesco, who signed for Manchester United for £74 million in the summer, has become one of his country’s most promising players in recent years. There is no doubt that he is talented, but that alone was not enough to help Slovenia qualify for the World Cup.
However, they had a disastrous season, failing to win their opening five games. Slovenia could end up bottom of the group if they lose to winless Sweden on Tuesday night.
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Andre Onana and Brian Mbeumo – Cameroon
More players are expected to remain at Manchester United during the World Cup. Cameroon’s failure to qualify means goalkeepers Andre Onana and Brian Mbeumo, currently on loan at Trabzonspor, will be sidelined next summer.
The African side faced the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday in hopes of reaching the play-off final, but former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba scored a late winner.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez – Hungary
Across the North West, many of Liverpool’s stars will only be watching during the World Cup. Hungary went 2-1 up in a winner-take-all match 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 turned the game on its head and the team collapsed. As a result, Hungary finished third in their group and was denied a chance to qualify for the World Cup. It also means that Liverpool pair Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkes will not take part in the competition.
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 reached the final of the playoff tournament, where they faced the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
And despite Frank Onyeka giving Nigeria an early lead, they ended up losing on penalties. Their failure will see a number of star players remain at home, including Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, Fulham forward Alex Iwobi and Atalanta sensation Ademola Lookman.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon
A familiar name to Premier League fans, the Gabonese forward enjoyed a sensational spell at Arsenal before going on to play for Barcelona, Chelsea and even Saudi Arabia.
Gabon have never played in a World Cup before and cruelly saw their latest effort end in brutal fashion. They played Nigeria in this international match and lost 1-0.
Former Southampton star Mario Lemina scored in the final minute to force extra-time, but Nigeria scored three goals to seal a dramatic victory.
Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrović – Serbia
Serbia, members of England’s qualifying group, are now much closer to at least qualifying for the play-offs. They defeated Latvia 2-1 in the final match and finished just one point behind Albania in the battle for second place.
Failure to qualify means a number of talented forwards from Juventus, including Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, will be out of action next summer.
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