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Top 14 Players to Miss the 2026 World Cup

By YPB Team

Global superstars left watching from home as their nations fell short or the call never came. Who's the biggest name missing from the finals? Cast your vote!

  1. Robert Lewandowski — ranked #11
    Robert Lewandowski
    Poland's talismanic striker, left heartbroken as his nation fell short in the play-offs.
    1000pts
  2. Federico Chiesa — ranked #22
    Federico Chiesa
    Italy's flair forward, a Euro 2020 hero, absent from the 2026 World Cup.
    643pts
  3. Riccardo Calafiori — ranked #33
    Riccardo Calafiori
    The emerging Italy and Arsenal defender who will miss the finals.
    591pts
  4. Piotr Zieliński — ranked #44
    Piotr Zieliński
    Poland's creative midfield mainstay, another casualty of their failed qualification.
    577pts
  5. Gianluigi Donnarumma — ranked #55
    Gianluigi Donnarumma
    One of the world's finest goalkeepers, absent as Italy failed to qualify yet again.
    576pts
  6. Nicolò Barella — ranked #66
    Nicolò Barella
    Italy's dynamic all-round midfielder denied a World Cup stage once more.
    500pts
  7. Alessandro Bastoni — ranked #77
    Alessandro Bastoni
    The ball-playing Inter defender left out as Italy failed to qualify.
    500pts
  8. Ademola Lookman — ranked #88
    Ademola Lookman
    The AFCON star winger left at home as Nigeria failed to reach the tournament.
    409pts
  9. Rodrygo — ranked #99
    Rodrygo
    The Real Madrid forward surprisingly omitted from Brazil's 2026 World Cup squad.
    409pts
  10. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — ranked #1010
    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
    The dazzling Georgian winger whose country missed out on the finals.
    409pts
  11. Sandro Tonali — ranked #1111
    Sandro Tonali
    The classy Italy midfielder absent as the Azzurri missed a third straight World Cup.
    300pts
  12. Álvaro Morata — ranked #1212
    Álvaro Morata
    Spain's Euro 2024-winning captain, left out of the champions' 2026 World Cup squad.
    300pts
  13. Dominik Szoboszlai — ranked #1313
    Dominik Szoboszlai
    Hungary's captain and Liverpool midfielder whose side missed qualification.
    167pts
  14. Victor Osimhen — ranked #1414
    Victor Osimhen
    Nigeria's fearsome striker, denied a World Cup after a play-off shootout defeat.
    167pts

#football576#players565#world cup109#national teams96

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Comments

Luis de la Fuente read out 26 names on 25 May and none of them was the captain who had lifted the Euros: https://youpick.best/articles/alvaro-morata-ranked-many-ways

YP
ypb-team·Aug 21·
0/1000
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