The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has delivered major surprises, with several of football’s biggest stars set to miss the global showpiece.
Among them is Poland’s prolific striker Robert Lewandowski, whose side fell short in the play-offs after a narrow defeat to Sweden. Despite a career spanning over 700 goals for club and country, the veteran forward could now be facing the reality of having played his final international tournament.
Italy’s continued struggles on the international stage also persist, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma once again denied a World Cup appearance. The European champions of 2020 were eliminated on penalties by Bosnia and Herzegovina, marking their third consecutive failure to qualify. Elsewhere, Guinea’s campaign ended early, ruling out Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, who has been one of Europe’s most consistent scorers in recent seasons.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also joins the list of high-profile absentees after Georgia endured a disappointing qualifying run, managing just one win in their group.
Similarly, Hungary’s hopes were dashed late in dramatic fashion, denying Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai a chance to feature on football’s biggest stage.
For Nigeria, the absence of Victor Osimhen will be particularly painful. The Super Eagles came agonisingly close but were eliminated on penalties in the play-offs against DR Congo, despite a strong season from the striker at club level.
