Even for the greatest players in the game, appearing at the World Cup is the pinnacle of a football career.
World Cup 2026 is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 World Cup squads competing in 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.
Sadly, not every player destined to feature in the tournament has been available to claim one of the 1,248 available spots. One or two others were selected only to miss out through injury at the last minute.
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The World Cup is bursting with star players but there are a handful whose absence has robbed the tournament of a little bit of magic.
These are the players who were ruled out of the competition due to injury or have been forced to withdraw since they were called up.
Argentina
Leonardo Balerdi
Originally named in Argentina's 26, Marseille's Leonardo Balerdi was set to add to his 11 senior international caps until a calf injury forced him to withdraw.
Valentin Carboni
21-year-old attacking midfielder Valentin Carboni was on loan at Racing from Inter Milan when he tore his ACL in February.
The former Monza, Marseille and Genoa loanee played age-level football for Italy but reverted to Argentina at Under-20 level. He has three senior international caps with the Albiceleste but is not part of Lionel Scaloni's World Cup squad.
Juan Foyth
World champions Argentina lost 28-year-old Villarreal defender Juan Foyth to a ruptured Achilles in January.
The former Tottenham Hotspur player, who has 22 senior international caps to his name and was part of Scaloni's World Cup-winning squad in 2022, was injured 24 minutes into Villarreal's La Liga fixture against Real Madrid.
Joaquin Panichelli
Strasbourg's Joaquin Panichelli has a single Argentina cap, which he won in the November international window. He was on duty with the national team in March when he injured his ACL for the second time in as many years.
The 23-year-old was ruled out of World Cup 2026 because of the injury, which also brought an early end to an outstanding run of form in front of goal.
Austria
Christoph Baumgartner
26-year-old Christoph Baumgartner misses the World Cup due to a thigh injury he sustained as part of the national team squad.
Slaven Belupo goalkeeper Osman Hadzikic also withdrew rom the squad with an injury.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina will be without defender Nidal Celik. The 19-year-old was called up after handful of Lens appearances but was forced to leave the squad on the first day of the World Cup.
Brazil
Estevao
19-year-old Chelsea star Estevao was ruled out of World Cup 2026 after suffering a grade four hamstring injury in the Blues' Premier League defeat against Manchester United in the middle of April.
Estevao started 12 league fixtures for Chelsea prior to his injury. A grade four injury is a full tear and can demand a recovery time of six months.
Eder Militao
A hamstring injury ruled Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Eder Militao out of this summer's World Cup. The 28-year-old re-aggravated an existing issue during Madrid's recent 2-1 victory over Alaves and now requires surgery.
It was the final blow of an injury-hit campaign for the 38-time Brazil international, who was a part of the Selecao's 2022 World Cup squad in Qatar.
Rodrygo
Brazil star Rodrygo was unavailable for selection by Selecao boss Carlo Ancelotti. The Real Madrid forward ruptured his ACL in a league fixture against Getafe at the beginning of March and has been eliminated from World Cup 2026 as a result.
The 25-year-old has played 37 times for his country and played at the last World Cup in 2022.
Wesley
Roma full-back Wesley, 22, has already played 30 times for the Selecao but an injury against Egypt ended his World Cup 2026 hopes.
Canada
Formerly on the books at Arsenal, 22-year-old Marcelo Flores has played twice for Canada but misses out on a home World Cup after rupturing his ACL in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
DR Congo
DR Congo made an all-Scotland swap when Hibernian defender Rocky Bushiri was struck down by injury at the end of last season. Kilmarnock's Aaron Tshibola was drafted in as his replacement.
England
Tino Livramento
The first player forced to withdraw from England's World Cup 2026 squad, Tino Livramento headed back to Newcastle United after a training ground injury ruled him out. Trevoh Chalobah replaced him.
France
Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool suffered a chastening Champions League exit against Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals but the low point of the second leg at Anfield was an awful injury sustained by striker Hugo Ekitike.
The France international went down after half an hour with the Achilles tendon rupture that prematurely ended his World Cup prospects.
Germany
Serge Gnabry
An adductor muscle tear in his right leg has ended Serge Gnabry's hopes of playing at this year's World Cup.
The 30-year-old was withdrawn with half an hour remaining of Bayern's blockbuster Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid, with the German club confirming the forward has been ruled out until next season.
Lennart Karl
One of the great young hopes of German football was initially included in Julian Nagelsmann's squad but Lennart Karl picked up a torn muscle injury in training and withdrew from the camp. Assan Ouedraogo got the nod in his place.
Ghana
Mohammed Kudus
Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus missed the second half of the season after he had a setback in recovering from the quad issue that has sidelined him since January.
The Ghana international missed the club's battle against the drop and wasn't able to make himself available for inclusion in the Black Stars' squad for the World Cup.
Mohammed Salisu
Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu tore his ACL in January and is working his way through what's expected to be a nine-month period of rehabilitation.
The 27-year-old former Southampton centre-back has played 22 times for the Black Stars since he made his debut in the autumn of 2022. He went on to play in the World Cup in December and was a likely inclusion for World Cup 2026 too.
Haiti
Vizela midfielder Leverton Pierre is an experienced Haiti international but suffered the heartbreak of an injury after he was named in their World Cup squad. Garven Metusala took his place.
Iraq
30-year-old Al-Shorta defender Ahmed Yahya was included in Graham Arnold's Iraq squad for World Cup 2026 but a hamstring injury forced his withdrawal. Ahmed Maknzi stepped in to replace him.
Ivory Coast
French-born 24-year-old defender Clement Akpa was named in the Ivory Coast squad despite having just two caps to his name. Christopher Operi was called up to replace him after he had to withdraw.
Japan
Wataru Endo
The absence of Wataru Endo in Japan's midfield was keenly felt in their World Cup 2026 opening fixture against the Netherlands. The Liverpool man withdrew with a foot injury after being named in the squad and immediately retired from international football.
Takumi Minamino
Former Liverpool forward Takumi Minamino is missing for Japan's World Cup 2026 tilt as he continues his recovery from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament that he suffered last year.
The 31-year-old was injured during Monaco's Coupe de France match against Auxerre and is a major miss for Samurai Blue.
Kaoru Mitoma
Hajime Moriyasu's Japan were also short of incisive play on the wings against the Netherlands and not having Kaoru Mitoma to call upon because of a hamstring injury sustained in Premier League action could prove problematic in the group stage.
Jordan
20-year-old Goztepe forward Ibrahim Sabra dropped out of Jordan's first World Cup finals squad a week before the start of the tournament after suffering an ankle injury.
Mexico
Luis Angel Malagon
Mexico defender Marcel Ruiz gave Javier Aguirre an unexpected boost by returning to action early after being ruled out of the World Cup, but Luis Angel Malagon had no such luck.
America goalkeeper Malagon is another player currently rehabilitating from a serious Achilles tear and his absence brought 40-year-old Guillermo Ochoa back into the fold on the doorstep of a home World Cup.
Morocco
Nayef Aguerd
Former West Ham United defender Nayef Aguerd, now playing for Marseille, was named in Morocco's World Cup 2026 squad despite having an injury. It was soon decided that he would not be available and he was dispatched from the camp.
Abde Ezzalzouli has also withdrawn. The 24-year-old winger was called up injured too.
Netherlands
Matthijs de Ligt
Once a stalwart of the Dutch national team, Matthijs de Ligt's absence for Manchester United this season has meant he plays no part for the Netherlands in North America.
De Ligt, 26, recently underwent surgery to remedy a persistent, long-standing lower back issue and is currently recovering from the procedure.
Xavi Simons
Netherlands forward Xavi Simons is missing this summer's tournament after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament during the second half of Tottenham's 1-0 win at Wolves.
The 23-year-old is set to be sidelined for eight months. His injury not only came at crushing time for himself and the Netherlands, but also for Tottenham, who had to battle for Premier League survival without him.
Jurrien Timber
New Zealand
Matt Garbett
Scotland
Billy Gilmour
One half of Scotland's Neapolitan duo missed out on the summer's finals after picking up an injury during the Tartan Army's 4-1 friendly win versus Curacao.
"I am devastated for Billy because he has been an integral part of our World Cup qualifying campaign," said national team boss Steve Clarke. "The timing of this injury is so, so cruel and we all feel for him."
Spain
Samu Aghehowa
Porto striker Samu Aghehowa suffered a torn ACL while playing against Sporting CP in February.
The 22-year-old had scored 13 goals in 20 league appearances this season but won't be adding to his caps for Spain or breaking his senior international duck at the World Cup finals.
Fermin Lopez
Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez was withdrawn from at half-time during their game against Real Betis in May. It wasn't thought to be serious but tests soon revealed a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot.
Lopez was not able to feature at the World Cup this summer as a result, a blow to the player and to Spain. He was expected to be a key part of Luis de la Fuente’s squad.
South Korea
Cho Yu-min
Sweden
Emil Holm
United States
Patrick Agyemang
Patrick Agyemang has scored six goals in 14 appearances for the United States since making his debut last year.
The striker, who also joined Derby County from Charlotte FC in 2025, was struck down by a serious Achilles tendon injury during the Rams' Championship fixture against Stoke City at the beginning of April.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Achilles surgery ruled United States defender Cameron Carter-Vickers out of the rest of the season as far back as November.
The Celtic stalwart battled the odds with a view to a surprise inclusion to add to his 19 caps with the USMNT but was unable to regain fitness in time for a home World Cup.
Uzbekistan
Jaloliddin Masharipov
