Top footballers who may not play at the 2026 World Cup

Every footballer dreams of playing in the World Cup – the biggest sporting event in the world.

But with several big teams at risk of missing out on the prestigious tournament, many stars may not be able to showcase their skills in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Below we have listed the top four footballers who may not play at the 2026 World Cup .

Italy failed to qualify for the previous World Cup in Qatar. While they have enjoyed an excellent qualifying campaign so far, Gennaro Gattuso’s men are currently three points behind Norway in second. They may have to navigate a dangerous playoff route to avoid missing out on the tournament.

Ginaluigi Donnarumma has made an impressive start to life at Manchester City , keeping four clean sheets in eight Premier League starts. Donnarumma will want to make a similar impact for his national side when they play against Moldova and Norway.

Alexander Isak has failed to meet expectations of Liverpool supporters after joining the club for £125 million. He hasn’t played in the last five matches after sustaining a groin injury in the Champions League victory against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Isak’s national team has also not been faring well, as Sweden’s hopes for a place in the next World Cup are almost over. To have any chance of making it to the playoffs, they must beat Switzerland and Slovenia in November while also hoping that Kosovo loses both of its matches against the same opponents.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is regarded as one of the best wide players in Europe. He was a key member of Luis Enrique’s PSG team that won the Champions League last season, scoring in the final of the competition against Inter Milan.

However, the 24-year-old is unlikely to take his talent to the World Cup next summer. Georgia’s chances of displacing Turkey for the playoff spot are slim, with Vincenzo Montella’s side six points ahead in second.

Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic resigned after the 1-0 home defeat to Albania last month. Veljko Paunović has since taken over as manager, with the former Atletico Madrid player starting his reign with a 3-1 win against Andorra. Despite the away success, the Eagles sit third in Group K behind England and Albania.

Dusan Vlahovic has been excellent for Juventus this season, netting six goals in 15 total appearances. But the talented striker may miss out on the World Cup if Serbia don’t do well in their two matches against England and Latvia.

Stats from Transfermarkt