One of the best parts of watching the World Cup is that, even for the most knowledgeable supporters, there is always something new to learn. The fact that next summer’s showpiece tournament will feature 16 more nations than usual, thanks to the expansion, means this will be truer than ever.

The likes of Uzbekistan, Jordan, and Cape Verde are all competing in their first-ever World Cup finals, while Haiti have just secured their second appearance since 1974. Meanwhile, Iraq, Suriname, DR Congo, and Northern Ireland all still have a strong chance of qualifying via the play-offs, adding to what is shaping up to be a summer of football like no other.

But for every new team to discover, there’s a big-name player who won’t be making the trip to the USA, Canada, and Mexico after their teams fell short. There have already been plenty of shocks, and we’ve pulled together a list of eleven players who will be sorely missed next summer.

11

Milos Kerkez

Hungary

Kerkez may find himself on the list of the worst Premier League signings of the 2025/26 season so far, with his move from Bournemouth to Liverpool knocking his usually confident self off balance. But with Hungary, he’s a completely different player – one who will no doubt be missed by those who love a modern-day, gallivanting wing-back.

Hungary needed only to avoid defeat against Ireland, but they lost in the 96th minute thanks to a third Troy Parrott goal, waving goodbye to their qualification hopes. Football can be cruel, but at just 22 years old, there will be plenty of opportunities for Kerkez to shine in future editions.

10

Benjamin Sesko

Slovenia

A lot of Slovenia’s attacking output relies on Benjamin Sesko doing much of the heavy lifting. At the back, they have Jan Oblak – one of the best goalkeepers in the world – holding things together (more on him in a bit). But clearly, having just two key players isn’t enough to earn a place at the table among the elite.

With no wins across their six qualification games and Sesko struggling for form, the landlocked European nation looked doomed from the start. It’s something of a double-edged sword for those of a Manchester United persuasion: on one hand, they’d love to see their new striker on the world stage, but on the other, the extra rest could work wonders for their hopes under Ruben Amorim next term. His 17 goal contributions in 33 Bundesliga appearances last season show he’s got star qualities by the shed load.

9

Dusan Vlahovic

Serbia

A modern striker in every sense of the word – tall, strong, fast, and with a knack for finding space in the box even when there doesn’t seem to be any – Dusan Vlahovic, at his best, is a lot like the aforementioned Sesko, also born in an underrated, landlocked European country in Serbia.

Giving up their place in the play-offs to Albania, their Balkan neighbours, probably won’t do much to ease the long-running political tensions that stem from the Kosovo War in the late 1990s. For the neutral, it simply means one less out-and-out striker who would have been looking to feast on goals next summer – another big name who won’t get a chance to show what he can bring to the table.

8

Ademola Lookman

Nigeria

Nigeria lost their play-off game against DR Congo, with manager Erik Chelle accusing the opposition of practicing voodoo during the penalty shootout. Peculiar, indeed, especially with Ademola Lookman – best known for scoring a hat-trick in the 2023 Europa League final as Atalanta stormed to a 3–0 win over the otherwise invincible Bayer Leverkusen – among the Super Eagles players who would have been expected to do more in securing their return to the World Cup after also missing out in 2022.

Lookman looks set to leave Atalanta after recent clashes with his club manager, having also previously asked to leave before this season. At least next summer he’ll have ample time to hold discussions with potential suitors, albeit at the cost of not seeing the reigning African Player of the Year turning defenders inside out across the pond.

7

Carlos Baleba

Cameroon

Subject to lots of interest from Man United over the summer, Carlos Baleba is typical of what Brighton and Hove Albion have been lifting from their talent production line in recent years. A midfielder with a tireless engine and an undeterrable workhorse mentality, he is the epitome of reliability and results over flair, and he is bound to be a big name in years to come.

Cameroon seemed to be one of the better-equipped African nations to qualify for next summer’s festival of football, but as was the case with Nigeria, DR Congo once again went about their underdog ways and knocked them out in the play-off semi-final.

6

Jan Oblak

Slovenia

Jan Oblak has been instrumental to Atletico Madrid’s success over the years and has looked unbeatable at times. Having won the La Liga Zamora trophy five times, his accolades speak for themselves. During the 2023/24 season, Oblak was vital in Atletico reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League with two huge penalty saves against Inter Milan in the round of 16.

It’s why he is still considered one of the best around, particularly when opposition players know how imposing he can be between the sticks. In a Diego Simeone team built on the very principles of defensive solidity, Oblak was – and still is – the crazy Argentinean’s most reliable asset, but his tournament experience won’t be on display at the World Cup.

5

Serhou Guirassy

Guinea

Last season, Guinean international Serhou Guirassy scored 13 goals and produced five assists in 14 Champions League appearances. Nobody remotely interested in the beautiful game needs telling twice just how remarkable that record is, especially considering he also notched 21 goals in the Bundesliga in his first season at Borussia Dortmund.

It’s the type of return that can help a player put an entire team on his back and win games almost single-handedly. Sadly, however, trying to do that with Guinea – a country of just 15 million people – was a step too far. Four wins, three draws, and three losses is still a respectable effort, but Uganda and Mozambique both bettered it in Group G.

4

Victor Osimhen

Nigeria

That’s right. Nigeria also boasted Victor Osimhen on top of already having Lookman in their team, with Premier League stars Calvin Bassey, Frank Onyeka, and Alex Iwobi perhaps a little unfortunate to miss out on this list – and they still couldn’t manage to reach the World Cup.

Osimhen has scored nearly every type of goal imaginable throughout his Napoli career, leading them to the Serie A title in 2023 with 26 goals in 32 league matches. These days, he’s in Turkey with Galatasaray, but the goals haven’t dried up at all, with his tally of 26 goals in 30 Super Lig games last season comfortably placing him among the best strikers in the world.

3

Dominik Szoboszlai

Hungary

As his nation’s captain, Dominik Szoboszlai put a lot of pressure on himself to be the one who guided Hungary to the World Cup. But there really wasn’t much more he could have done in his efforts to drag them across the pond, with the Liverpool midfielder running almost half-marathon distances every game just to play a role in defence, midfield, and attack.

One of the best Premier League players of the season so far, his long-range strikes, beautiful free-kicks, and relentless running will be missed at the World Cup. And while his absence means he will be fully fit for Liverpool, the fact that he seems tireless means the positives can be overlooked almost entirely.

2

Bryan Mbeumo

Cameroon

Man United’s saviour – the man currently acting like a one-man wrecking machine up top at Old Trafford – Bryan Mbeumo is the second and final Red Devils forward who will get an extended rest next summer after Cameroon’s aforementioned struggles in a group dominated by Uganda and Mozambique.

He managed 20 goals for Brentford last season in the absence of Ivan Toney, and he already looks set to match or better that this time around, having notched five in 11 Premier League outings. Many go to the Theatre of Dreams as if signing a death wish, but Mbeumo has proven he’s far too good for that.