GK: Jan Oblak (Slovenia)
Despite being one of the best goalkeepers of the last decade, Jan Oblak will not be at the 2026 World Cup. Slovenia finished third in Group B behind Switzerland and Kosovo and failed to win a single game during qualifying. Oblak is yet to appear at a World Cup – Slovenia last qualified in 2010, and he’ll be 37 by the next tournament. Could he have missed his final chance?
RCB: Nikola Milenković (Serbia)
Serbia finished third in Group K, trailing second place Albania by one point. They’d qualified for both Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 and would have expected to have at least made the qualifiers this time around, but it was not to be for Veljko Paunovic’s men. At Forest, Nikola Milenković has flourished into one of the most dependable defenders in the league. Still aged just 28, he will fancy his chances at adding to his six World Cup appearances at the 2030 tournament, should Serbia qualify.
CB: Strahinja Pavlović (Serbia)
Another Serbian defender unlucky to miss out on World Cup qualification. Pavlović already has 52 caps at the age of 24; he’ll be a stalwart of this Serbian defence for a long time to come and will hope to add to the three appearances he made in Qatar.
LCB: Milos Kerkez (Hungary)
It was heartbreak for Hungary as they were pipped to a play-off position by an inspired Ireland. Having not made an appearance at the World Cup since 1986, Hungary looked set to finish second in Group F before Troy Parrott’s late heroics secured the win and route through to the play-offs for Ireland. Kerkez will likely be a feature of that Hungarian defence for a decade to come, so will have plenty more opportunities to make his World Cup debut.
RM: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Despite being ranked as Africa’s fifth-strongest side and boasting a squad full of experienced players, Nigeria failed to make it to the 2026 World Cup, having also failed to qualify for Qatar 2022. They lost to DR Congo in the play-off final on Sunday, and Lookman is one of the stars who won’t be featuring. The Atalanta forward will be in his early 30s by the time the next tournament comes around.
RCM: Dominik Szoboszlai (Hungary)
For a player in the form that Szoboszlai is in not to be at the World Cup is a travesty. The midfielder was in inspired form during the qualifiers, grabbing the important late equaliser against Portugal and contributing four assists. Hungary are yet to appear in a World Cup in the 21st century; Szoboszlai will be hoping to reverse those fortunes in four years’ time.
LCM: Sergej Milinković-Savić (Serbia)
Serbia missed out on a qualification spot, but even if they did make the World Cup it’s unlikely Sergej Milinković-Savić would have been playing. His last appearance for the national side came in Euro 2024. Previous Serbian manager Dragan Stojković publicly stated that for as long as he was in charge, Sergej Milinković-Savić would not feature again. The Al-Hilal midfielder previously appeared at both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
LM: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)
PSG’s wizard is widely recognized as one of the best wingers in the world, but Georgia were unable to qualify from a strong Group E that featured Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria. Having been one of the most exciting players at Euro 2024, it will be a shame not to see Kvaratskhelia at the 2026 World Cup. Since their independence, Georgia are yet to make a World Cup appearance.
RW: Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
Cameroon failing to qualify was one of the major shocks – not only do they have a strong squad but they’ve been a regular since their first appearance in 1982, only failing to qualify three times since. Mbeumo missed a tight chance in the play-off semi-final, which DR Congo went on to win 1-0. Having made three appearances at the Qatar World Cup, Mbeumo’s hunt for a first World Cup goal continues.
ST: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
He might be lighting up the Champions League, but Osimhen will not be playing at the World Cup after Nigeria lost in the African play-off final. The striker is yet to make a World Cup appearance, but will only be 31 by the time of the 2030 competition so will hope to still be leading the line for the Super Eagles.
LW: Serhou Guirassy (Guinea)
Dortmund’s goal machine wasn’t able to carry that scoring form into the World Cup qualifiers, with only a solitary goal against Somalia. Guinea finished fourth in Group G, ten points behind Algeria. Having never qualified for the World Cup, it will take a special effort from the Guineans and a Guirassy who will be well into his 30s to qualify for the 2030 tournament.
