We are now less than seven months out from the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the group-stage draw set to take place in Washington DC on December 5. Forty-two participating nations are locked in, with four teams from the UEFA play-offs and two intercontinental winners set to complete the line up in March. All of the so-called elite countries will be there, from holders Argentina and arch-rivals Brazil, to Euro 2024 winners Spain and France.
The tournament is expected to be the last dance for Lionel Messi, while the likes of Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe will all be out to try and upstage the Albiceleste icon. Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to match Messi as the only other player to ever feature at six World Cups when he leads out Portugal again, Harry Kane will carry England's hopes under Thomas Tuchel and Erling Haaland will step onto international football's grandest stage for the first time with dark horses Norway.
Several huge names will be fighting to join that list in the play-offs, but for some, the journey is already over. That is because the qualification stage claimed its fair share of notable scalps, including a pair of African giants and two countries from Europe and South America who have appeared at nine World Cup finals apiece.
Without further ado, GOAL runs through the biggest superstars who definitely won't be lighting up North America next summer…
Getty Images SportKhvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia)
Georgia were one of the surprise packages at Euro 2024, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was the driving force behind their run to the last 16 with his dizzying runs and relentless work rate. But the Paris Saint-Germain winger won't be strutting his stuff on the grandest stage of all next summer.
Kvaratskhelia did score twice in World Cup qualifying, including in a 3-0 win over Bulgaria, but Georgia lost four of their remaining five fixtures and finished a distant third behind Spain and Turkey in Group E. A chastening 4-1 defeat away to Turkey marked the lowest point, and head coach Willy Sagnol will have to go back to the drawing board to lift his confidence-stricken squad, which simply doesn't contain any other players who can come close to matching Kvaratskhelia's level.
AdvertisementAFPPierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the finest strikers of his generation to never play at the World Cup, and after Gabon's latest qualification failure, it's safe to say that the 36-year-old will retire without ticking that box. Gabon booked a spot in the CAF play-offs after finishing second in their group, just one point behind Cote d'Ivoire, and Aubameyang contributed seven goals to their cause, including a superb quadruple haul in a thrilling 4-3 victory away at Gambia.
The former Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund star, who is now enjoying a second spell with Marseille at club level, led the line again in Gabon's blockbuster semi-final tie against Nigeria. Gabon fought hard to force extra-time, with Mario Lemina equalising in the 89th minute, but that appeared to zap all their energy, and Nigeria eventually emerged as 4-1 winners, with Victor Osimhen grabbing a brace.
Gabon's search for a maiden World Cup appearance goes on, and their chances will surely only dwindle once they lose Aubameyang's services.
AFPBryan Mbeumo (Cameroon)
Bryan Mbeumo was born in central France and represented Les Bleus at Under-21 level, but in 2022, he switched allegiance to Cameroon, the land of his father. Three years on, there may be part of him that regrets that decision.
Cameroon were embarrassingly beaten to automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup by minnows Cape Verde, and were subsequently pitted against DR Congo in the CAF play-offs. Mbeumo played the full 90 minutes, alongside Manchester United colleague Andre Onana and Brighton's Carlos Baleba, but DR Congo won the contest 1-0, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Chancel Mbemba. Mbeumo, who has only scored seven goals in 27 games for Cameroon to date, was guilty of missing a clear chance in the second half, and went viral for storming down the tunnel after the final whistle.
The Indomitable Lions have played at more World Cups than any other African nation (eight), but the current team doesn't hold a candle to those from the past. Turmoil away from the pitch has continually detracted from any progress in recent years, and the path forward looks anything but clear, with Marc Brys reportedly set to be relieved of his managerial duties.
GettyDusan Vlahovic (Serbia)
Serbia have failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 2014, and this failure will no doubt sting more than most. Head coach Dragan Stojkovic resigned after a dismal 1-0 home defeat to Albania in October, and Serbia were officially eliminated from the process after a 2-0 defeat to England at Wembley last Thursday.
England romped through as Group K winners with a perfect record, while Albania made the play-offs for the first time in their history. It was a nightmare campaign for Serbia and, more specifically, Dusan Vlahovic, who mustered only two goals and went completely missing in the double-headers against England and Albania.
The Juventus star has yet to prove himself as a top-class striker and questions have been asked over his future in Turin. With only 16 goals to his name from 41 international games, he has done little to inspire Serbia either, and his stock will be lower than ever when the transfer market reopens.
