Lewandowski Misses World Cup - Who Else Will be Missing in America?
Which Football Stars Have Missed the World Cup?
World Cup Qualifying can be a cruel, cruel game.
For some nations, like England, the qualifying stages are a bare expectation with the nation being clearly ahead of their peers within their fellow groups, meaning the thought of getting to the World Cup is a simple notion.
But for other nations, qualifying can be a closely-matched, intense affair that leaves some countries absent from the world's premier sporting event when it rolls around onto our screens each year.
Aside from the obvious cruel misery fans and inhabitants of these nations will endure through the absence of their country on the world stage, neutrals can be left underwhelmed through the absence of some of the game's biggest stars and names, who's countries were unable to secure their spot in the tournament.
Here are just a handful of the biggest names that won't be heading to this year's 2026 World Cup in North America.
Robert Lewandowski - Poland and Barcelona
🚨💣 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆… Robert Lewandowski will NOT play in the 2026 World Cup with Poland. 🇵🇱❌🥹
— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) March 31, 2026
At nearly 38 years old, it strongly feels like the end of an era for the Polish legend on the biggest stage with his national team.
We may have just witnessed the last… pic.twitter.com/7jzqixQL8R
He may be one of the most legendary gunmen the game has seen in the last decade-and-a-half, but Poland's Robert Lewandowski is perhaps the flagship of the big names who won't be at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 37-year-old Barcelona forward, who has bagged a record 89 goals for his country, was unable to inspire his side beyond a 3-2 loss against Sweden in Stockholm during Tuesday's play-off final.
'Lewa' will be 41 by the time the next World Cup rolls around, and may very well have called it a day on his career overall, let alone his time as a Poland international. If his post-match response to defeat on Tuesday is anything to go by, the latter-which is almost certainly over and done with.
Lewandowski, who won 10 Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich and two La Liga titles with Barcelona, is likely to have played in his last major international tournament - he has only managed to make it to the World Cup twice with Poland amidst an otherwise glittering career.
Gianluigi Donnarumma - Italy and Manchester City
ITALIA, FUERA DEL MUNDIAL POR TERCERA EDICIÓN SEGUIDA.
— Pablo Puente (@SoyPabloPuente) March 31, 2026
Se ha clasificado Bosnia en los penaltis.
Así se ha vivido la tanda en la RAI.pic.twitter.com/mgx749fHto
Imagine making your national team debut at the age of 17 for what has been one of the better international teams in history, winning a major trophy during your time with the nation, and not managing to make a World Cup appearance for them before you turn at least 31. That is the sad story for Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Italian national team.
Since his move from PSG to Manchester City in the summer for the price of £26m, 'Gigi' has been one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League after becoming a Champions League winner with the Parisian giants last season.
Despite being crowned as the player of the tournament as Italy defeated England to win the European Championship in 2020, he has once again missed out on a World Cup campaign after Italy suffered a 4-1 loss on penalties to Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday.
Serhou Guirassy - Guinea and Borussia Dortmund
🚨C’EST TERMINÉ ! Défaite de la Guinée (1-0) contre le Bénin !
— 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲́𝗲𝗻𝘀 🇬🇳🐘 (@Joueurs_GN) March 31, 2026
Pas d’enseignements à tirer de cette rencontre.
Steve Mounié a OUVERT le score pour les Guépards à la 32’.
Serhou Guirassy a MANQUÉ un penalty. ❌
Sur deux matchs c’est : 1 match nul et une défaite pour le Syli… pic.twitter.com/0Jr9dxYYwV
Leave no mistake about it, Serhou Guirassy has established himself amongst the very most prolific forwards in Europe and perhaps the world itself in recent years, with 62 goals in the past three seasons over in the Bundesliga with Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund. Also, no player was able to topple his whopping 13 Champions League goals back in the 24/25 campaign.
However, he will not be able to take his finishing prowess to North America this summer. His nation, Guinea, were eliminated in the first round of CAF qualifying by finishing fourth in their group, with their four wins and three draws from 10 matches not enough to catch up to Algeria in first and Uganda in second - the former will be heading to the World Cup, facing Jordan, Austria and defending champions Argentina in Group J.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia - Georgia and PSG
🏁 FULL TIME IN TBILISI!!
— Spanish Football (@SpainIsFootball) November 15, 2025
Spain run riot in Georgia and move so close to the World Cup! ⚡️
🇬🇪 🆚 🇪🇸 | 0-4 | 90+4’#VamosEspaña | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/nn3HwMDJI4
He may be a newly-crowned Champions League winner with PSG last term, having bagged a goal in the 5-0 final thrashing over Inter, and he may have finished 12th in the 2025 Ballon d'Or rankings, but Georgian star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will not be heading to the World Cup this summer.
Georgia are a nation dripping with talent, such as the likes of Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and Villareal striker Georges Mikautadze and, of course, Kvaratskhelia himself, but they suffered a miserable World Cup Qualifying campaign - they earned just three points in a group containing Spain, Turkiye and Bulgaria.
It's nothing too unfamiliar for the nation of Georgia - their impressive run in the 2024 Euros was their first-ever admission to a European Championship or a World Cup in their time as a national team. Still, though, it hurts knowing one of the world's most sought-after wingers won't be lighting up defences on American soil.
Victor Osimhen - Nigeria and Galatasaray
🚨🌍 OFFICIAL: After Cameroon, also Nigeria are OUT of the 2026 World Cup after losing vs Congo ❌ pic.twitter.com/ucGFawIV81
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 16, 2025
One of the world's best strikers, Galatasaray and Nigeria star Victor Osimhen was not able to guide the Super Eagles into a World Cup space.
Osimhen helped Napoli win Serie A in Italy back in 2023, before a fallout with the club's hierarchy led to his move to Galatasary in Turkiye. He helped himself to 26 goals in 30 games to win the Turkish title last term.
Nigeria drew half of their 10 matches in the first group phase as they finished point short of group winners South Africa, but were afforded a second chance in the play-off. However, with Osimhen having been subbed off, the Super Eagles were defeated by DR Congo to miss out on the World Cup.
A crying shame, of course, if only for the lack of a Nigerian World Cup kit. They always produce beauties.
Bryan Mbeumo - Cameroon and Manchester United
SCENES IN CAPE VERDE AFTER BEATING CAMEROON🇨🇻🇨🇻🇨🇻
— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) September 9, 2025
They are just 1 win away from securing their first EVER World Cup spot🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/N4JWpKRHcK
A shock 1-0 defeat to Cape Verde and a 0-0 draw with Angola meant that Cameroon had to run the same gauntlet as Nigeria, and they too were defeated by the DR Congo in their respective play-off battle against them, just like Nigeria.
This means that, along with top talents like Bayer Leverkusen star Christian Kofane and Levante forward Etta Eyong, Manchester United star Bryan Mbeumo will not be making a return to the World Cup with Cameroon this summer.
The then-Brentford winger made three appearances for Cameroon in the 2022 edition of the tournament in Qatar, but he and his nation were dumped out of the running at the Group Stage mark of the competition. He would have been relishing the opportunity to head to North America and improve on that run, in the biggest World Cup ever, but a 90+1st minute winner from DR Congo and Lille defender Chancel Mbemba meant Cameroon would not be appearing in the summer.
Alec Hayward 
Oliver Seymour 
