2026 World Cup: Teams that Qualified and Players Who Missed Out
The upcoming 2026 World Cup is drawing closer, with 32 teams already securing their spots in the tournament to be held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Among the qualified teams are powerhouse nations like England, Argentina, Brazil, France, and Portugal. The expanded format of the World Cup has allowed smaller teams such as Uzbekistan, Cape Verde, and Paraguay to also qualify, while some teams have had disappointing campaigns and will not be participating.
Manchester United's £74m signing, Benjamin Sesko, will not be able to showcase his talent at the World Cup as Slovenia failed to qualify. Similarly, Man United's Andre Onana and Bryan Mbeumo, representing Cameroon, will also miss out on the tournament. Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez from Hungary will be watching from the sidelines after Hungary's collapse in their crucial match against Republic of Ireland.
Nigeria, after missing the 2022 World Cup, will now sit out the 2026 tournament as well. Despite reaching the final of the play-off tournament, Nigeria lost to DR Congo on penalties. This means stars like Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, and Ademola Lookman will not be part of the World Cup. Gabon's hopes were dashed by Nigeria in a dramatic match, denying players like Mario Lemina a chance to compete in the tournament.
Serbia came close to securing a playoff spot but fell short by just one point, missing out on the World Cup. Talented forwards like Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic will have to wait for another opportunity to represent their country on the world stage. The absence of these players from the 2026 World Cup will surely be felt, but the tournament promises to be an exciting showcase of football talent from around the globe.