The perfect XI of gamers lacking the 2026 World Cup

The expanded 48-team format was imagined to make big-profile absences, however there are nonetheless a number of enormous names set to overlook out at this summer season’s event.

Regardless of 16 extra nations competing in North America than at any earlier World Cup, the listing of elite gamers sitting at house this summer season is so long as any in latest reminiscence.

Italy have missed out for a 3rd consecutive time, dropping on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina within the play-offs in what has turn out to be essentially the most baffling recurring story in worldwide soccer.

Nigeria, Poland, Georgia, Hungary and Ukraine are among the many different notable non-qualifiers, and between them they’ve produced sufficient world-class expertise to fill a squad able to competing with the easiest in North America.

Right here is one of the best XI assembled from the gamers who is not going to be there.

Lacking World Cup XI

Formation: 4-3-3

Goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Proper again: Mykhailo Zabarnyi (Ukraine)
Centre again: Alessandro Bastoni (Italy)
Centre again: Riccardo Calafiori (Italy)
Left again: Federico Dimarco (Italy)
Central midfield: Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary)
Central midfield: Nicolo Barella (Italy)
Central midfield: Sandro Tonali (Italy)
Proper wing: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Striker: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Left wing: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)

The goalkeeper who has by no means performed at a World Cup

Gianluigi Donnarumma has gained the Champions League, the European Championship and the Yashin Trophy, broadly considered the sport’s prime award for goalkeepers. He has by no means performed a minute of World Cup soccer.

The 27-year-old was 15 years previous when Italy final appeared at a World Cup. He’ll stay with out that have for a minimum of one other 4 years after Gennaro Gattuso’s facet fell to Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties within the European play-off closing.

For a participant of his stature, it’s a merciless hole on an in any other case exceptional worldwide report.

Italy’s defensive machine

Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori type a centre-back partnership that any of the 48 nations in North America would welcome.

Bastoni has been one of the crucial composed defenders in Serie A and the Champions League all through the season at Inter Milan. Calafiori, nonetheless solely 23, has established himself as among the finest left-footed defenders on the planet since his transfer to Arsenal.

Federico Dimarco fills the left-back place after a exceptional home season that produced 15 assists and 7 targets from 38 appearances for Inter.

Mykhailo Zabarnyi, Ukraine’s composed and bodily defender, completes the line of defense. Ukraine didn’t qualify for the World Cup, ending a two-decade absence from the event that stretches again to their 2006 quarter-final run.

Midfield technicians

Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain and Liverpool’s relentless engine, is essentially the most precious participant not at this World Cup in keeping with Transfermarkt.

Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali full a central three that may be among the many best midfields on the event.

Barella, like Donnarumma, has by no means performed World Cup soccer. He might be 33 by the point 2030 comes round, which means North America was virtually definitely his greatest remaining alternative.

Tonali, nonetheless solely 25, brings an depth and technical high quality to the place that Italy have struggled to exchange at worldwide degree whatever the expertise obtainable.

Kvaratskhelia’s lengthy wait continues

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the standout participant of the Champions League this season and arguably one of the best winger in world soccer in 2025-26. He’s not going to the World Cup.

Georgia completed a distant third of their UEFA qualifying group, behind Spain and Turkey, and Kvaratskhelia’s particular person brilliance was not sufficient to pull them over the road.

He must wait a minimum of 4 extra years for his first style of a World Cup, if Georgia can qualify in 2030.

On the precise wing, Bryan Mbeumo provides this facet a mix of tempo, directness and a constant purpose risk that Cameroon will spend the summer season ruing.

The striker debate

Victor Osimhen leads the road right here, although the argument for Robert Lewandowski on this place is equally legitimate.

Osimhen’s bodily dominance, motion and goalscoring intuition on the highest degree of membership soccer make him a pure match for a World Cup event, however he’ll spend the summer season on the sidelines after Nigeria’s play-off defeat.

Lewandowski, 37, was in tears after Poland’s qualifying marketing campaign ended and not using a place in North America. It was virtually definitely his final probability to play at a World Cup, closing out a profession through which he has been one of the crucial prolific strikers within the historical past of the sport.

Selecting between them for the one striker place is the toughest name on this XI.

Who misses out?

The competitors for locations is fierce sufficient that a number of gamers of real world-class high quality couldn’t be included.

Jan Oblak, the Atletico Madrid and Slovenia goalkeeper, would problem Donnarumma in most different conversations.

Benjamin Sesko, Oblak’s Slovenia team-mate, is likely one of the most fun younger strikers in Europe. Dusan Vlahovic was Serbia’s talisman in a qualifying marketing campaign that in the end led to disappointment.

Ademola Lookman and Carlos Baleba give Cameroon an attacking and midfield high quality that ought to be on the most important stage.