The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is nearly here. The tournament is being co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with the opening game on 11th June in Mexico City. The fixture is a replay of 2010’s famous first match, with Mexico this time playing host to South Africa.
The World Cup is bigger than ever this year, with the new format meaning 48 teams will take part for the first time. This has meant some big changes to how the tournament works.
There are now 12 groups of four in the Group Stage, up from the eight used until now. Third place in a group can now be good enough to go through to the knockout phase too, with the eight best third-placed sides progressing. FIFA hope that this system will spice up the final group games and give teams who’ve lost their opening two games something to play for.
The extra teams mean there’s a brand new Round of 32 in the knockout stage as well. All told, the 2026 World Cup will feature 104 matches being played across 39 glorious days of football. Fans are raring for the tournament to start, while those looking to back the action can pick from the top-rated betting sites in the UK.
Competing at the World Cup can be the highlight of any player’s career, and football’s superstars have doubtless been performing for their clubs with one eye on the summer. For some, though, the dream of playing hasn’t come to fruition.
Whether through injury or simply being left out by a manager, these are the big names who won’t be featuring at the World Cup.
Brazil and the Netherlands hit by key injuries
Brazil are perhaps the team worst hit by injuries heading into the World Cup. Star winger Rodrygo is missing with a knee injury sustained in March, while Chelsea’s young hotshot Estêvão has also been ruled out. The defence will be missing Éder Militão too, with the Real Madrid defender expected to be unavailable until near the end of the year.
The Netherlands are also missing a couple of big players. Xavi Simons suffered a knee injury playing for Tottenham Hotspur in April, while Matthijs de Ligt is ruled out with a back injury, which has severely impacted his appearances for Manchester United. The good news, however, is that Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been deemed fit enough for selection.
Elsewhere, France striker Hugo Ekitiké is missing out with an Achilles injury, while Germany will be without Serge Gnabry due to an adductor strain.
England lead the way with shock exclusions
Perhaps the only thing worse than missing the World Cup through injury is receiving the dreaded call to say you haven’t been selected. England manager Thomas Tuchel seemingly made a lot of these while finalising his squad, with the German leaving several big names out.
Defender Harry Maguire had been a regular under old manager Gareth Southgate and was at the heart of England’s recent tournament success. Tuchel, though, decided Maguire didn’t fit the player profile he wanted and left him out, causing the Manchester United player to speak out on social media.
If the World Cup had been held a year ago, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Manchester City’s Phil Foden would likely have been among England’s most important players. Difficult seasons, accented by a poor March international window, mean that both now miss out.
The pair’s exclusion, though, is what England fans have long demanded: select players based on current form, not reputation.
Elsewhere, Paulo Dybala is firmly out of Argentina’s plans, while Jeremie Frimpong was considered too injury-prone by the Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti also made headlines by selecting Neymar, who hasn’t represented his country in almost three years due to injury, over the likes of Joao Pedro, Richarlison, and Gabriel Jesus.
