World Cup 2026: Which star players will miss the tournament?

The world’s best football players will travel to North America this summer for the most anticipated sporting event of the year: the FIFA World Cup 2026. While the 48-team tournament will feature young prodigies and veterans alike, some stars will not be at the tournament, having missed out due to injuries or because their nations failed to qualify. Al Jazeera takes a look at the top stars who will not be at the World Cup: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia) Georgian Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, PSG’s most creative player, will not be at the World Cup [File: Anne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP] One of the most feared wingers in European football, Kvaratskhelia will not be on the plane to North America as his country, Georgia, failed to qualify for the finals in June and July.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger, the standout player in the Champions League this season, is yet to play at a World Cup. His last major tournament with Georgia ended in a round-of-16 run at Euro 2024. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) The 2026 edition was probably Lewandowski’s last chance of featuring at another World Cup [File: Kacper Pempel/Reuters] A teary-eyed Lewandowski left the pitch after Poland’s final World Cup qualifier on March 31 as the nation narrowly missed out on the 2026 edition.

The 37-year-old Barcelona striker even hinted at international retirement after the failure to qualify but has yet to confirm the decision. Lewandowski has played a record 165 games for Poland, beginning with a goal on his debut against San Marino in 2008 when he was 20. His 89 goals are nearly twice as many as any other Polish player, but he has played at the World Cup only twice with a last-16 finish in 2022 being the best result.

Gianluigi Donnarumma and Sandro Tonali (Italy) Tonali, left, and Donnarumma are important players at their respective clubs, Newcastle United and Manchester City [File: Scott Heppell/Reuters] Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time means the tournament will be devoid of some of the finest Azzurri talents, including star goalkeeper Donnarumma and midfielder Tonali. After suffering a shock penalty shootout defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in the playoffs, Italy became the first former champions to miss three World Cup finals in a row. The last time the Italians played at a World Cup was in 2014 when they crashed out in the group stage in Brazil.