FIFA must’ve thought they were making life easier for national team head coaches when they expanded World Cup squad sizes from a maximum of 23 to 26 in time for the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
However, the paradox of choice suggests that an abundance of options actually requires more effort to choose. More roster slots have rendered decisions all the more difficult, with supporters inevitably left unsatisfied by those selected and focusing more on the players left out.
Some managers have deeper talent pools to pick from than others, and those aiming to inspire the pre-tournament favorites to glory this summer have been forced to overlook several high-profile figures.
Injuries and qualifying woes mean a long list of absent stars from the 2026 World Cup has already been crafted, and here are the most notable roster omissions.
1. Cole Palmer (England)
The candid Thomas Tuchel didn’t mince his words when explaining why Cole Palmer failed to make his 26-man World Cup roster.
The Chelsea playmaker, supposedly underused by Gareth Southgate at Euro 2024, endured a rough season with the Blues, largely because of a nagging groin issue.
“He [Palmer] was not as decisive or as influential as he was in the last seasons, throughout the whole season,” Tuchel said after England’s roster was announced. “Second of all, he was not very influential with us.”
The maverick creator has scored twice in 14 caps for the Three Lions, and has appeared just three times for the national team since Tuchel took charge. While many expected Palmer to make the German’s roster, England’s manager has prepared for a World Cup without the 24-year-old.
2. Phil Foden (England)
The writing was on the wall for Phil Foden in March, when Tuchel was publicly critical of his performances for the national team. While the German praised Foden’s efforts in training, he also said the playmaker “struggles to show it on the pitch.”
Foden has long been regarded by English pundits as “too talented” to leave at home, but the Manchester City star proved to be a tactical issue for Southgate, especially once Jude Bellingham became undroppable. Shoehorning Foden into the starting lineup came at the detriment of balance, especially at Euro 2024.
Tuchel has opted to avoid controversy by not picking Foden at all, and his decision was made easier by the 26-year-old’s awfully quiet 2026.
3. Harry Maguire (England)
A figurehead of the previous regime, Harry Maguire looked poised to compete at his third World Cup after enjoying a resurgent campaign with Manchester United.
Maguire was selected by Tuchel for England’s March friendlies, and did little in the aftermath to convince the Three Lions that he wasn’t worthy of being selected.
However, Maguire was instead left “shocked and gutted” by England’s confirmed roster, as Tuchel went down a different route. John Stones has been trusted despite his injury woes, while young Jarell Quansah is a surprise inclusion. Marc Guéhi will most likely be partnered by Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa.
While never the most athletic, Maguire is an excellent box defender with plenty of major tournament experience. His threat from set-pieces will be missed, too.
4. Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
Southgate succumbed to media and fan pressure in Germany two summers ago by using Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield. It didn’t work.
The experiment was quickly shelved, with Kobbie Mainoo partnering Declan Rice throughout the knockout stages. Still, Trent did at least provide the winning moment in England’s quarterfinal victory over Switzerland on penalties.
He’s featured just once since Tuchel took the reins, with the German generally avoiding England’s right back wildcard. Alexander-Arnold didn’t have a particularly great season with Real Madrid, but he boasts a passing range that few of his contemporaries can match.
The former Liverpool star would’ve been a luxury pick, and Tuchel clearly didn’t believe he was worth the potential hassle.
5. Eduardo Camavinga (France)
When Eduardo Camavinga was turning Champions League knockout ties on their head off the bench in 2021–22, it looked like Real Madrid had acquired Europe‘s next dominant midfield force.
Camavinga, who burst onto the senior stage at the tender age of 16, has had his moments with Los Blancos. Injuries and a lack of focus have, however, prevented the Frenchman from developing into something special.
Instead, he’s become somewhat of a nuisance in the Spanish capital. Camavinga’s omission from France’s World Cup roster must serve as a wake-up call, because his career is starting to drift.
It’s not like he’s been edged out by an array of world beaters. Adrien Rabiot and a 35-year-old N’Golo Kanté were picked by Didier Deschamps.
6. Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands)
Arne Slot didn’t quite know what Jeremie Frimpong was, and Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has also had similar issues discerning how to maximize the former Bayer Leverkusen wingback.
Frimpong also dealt with multiple injuries during a disappointing first season with Liverpool, and those were cited by Koeman as key in his decision to overlook him.
“It is the pattern of this season that he has been injured regularly. Against Ecuador, he came on as a substitute and was taken off again very quickly.
“That is a physical issue, but I also chose someone else as right winger—[Crysencio] Summerville. That comes as no surprise to me, because I wanted to select him back in March.
“I like those kinds of players, players who are reliable in their game. He can also play very well on the right side, but he is particularly good in his work ethic.”
Frimpong needs to work out exactly what he is. Otherwise, he’ll be chasing around managers who play a back three for the rest of his career.
7. Dean Huijsen (Spain)
After starring for a season at Bournemouth and earning a dream move to Real Madrid, Dean Huijsen must’ve rendered a place at the 2026 World Cup as borderline inevitable.
He worked his way into Luis de la Fuente‘s thinking after Spain’s successful Euro 2024 campaign and has earned seven caps since the start of 2025. Huijsen was also named in Spain’s roster for their March friendlies.
However, the young, nonchalant defender was overlooked in favor of alternative center back options, with Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsí unsurprisingly picked and Atlético Madrid’s Marc Pubill getting the nod after an excellent season. Huijsen was merely indifferent in the Spanish capital, and it cost him.
8. Mateus Fernandes (Portugal)
West Ham United’s plight had little to do with Mateus Fernandes, who shone in the middle of the park for the Hammers after joining from Southampton last summer.
Fernandes glimmered on the south coast and took greater responsibility in the East End, even if the Hammers were pitiful for much of 2025–26.
A dynamic and aggressive midfield operator with a lovely weight of pass, Fernandes’s rise was recognized by Roberto Martínez in March, but the former Everton and Wigan Athletic manager opted against including the 21-year-old on his World Cup roster.
Fernandes will soon complete a big-money move to likely remain in the Premier League.
9. Franco Mastantuono (Argentina)
Like Huijsen, Franco Mastantuono must’ve considered soccer‘s grandest stage when he joined Real Madrid from River Plate a year ago.
The left-footed maestro arrived at Madrid having made his national team debut the week before, with Lionel Scaloni seemingly fast-tracking Mastantuono into his long-term plans.
However, his debut season with Los Blancos returned just three goals and a red card. Mastantuono merely played a secondary role for Argentina in qualifying and only just made their preliminary squad for their March friendlies.
The 18-year-old’s time will hopefully arrive, but he’ll have to wait another four years, at least, for his first taste of the World Cup.
10. Paulo Dybala (Argentina)
While Mastantuono has been regarded as a potential Lionel Messi heir, Paulo Dybala struggled to operate in tandem with Argentina’s leading man during his glorious apex.
’La Joya’ recorded 40 caps for the Albiceleste from 2015–24, but scored just four times. He appeared at the previous two World Cups, keeping his cool from 12 yards in the penalty shootout that decided the 2022 final against a Kylian Mbappé-inspired France.
Dybala hasn’t appeared for the national team since 2024, with his career drifting out of the limelight. Still, he proved on the final day of the 2025–26 season with Roma that the supreme quality of his Juventus heyday remains.
11. João Pedro (Brazil)
Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to leave João Pedro out of Brazil’s World Cup roster was regarded as egregious by many.
The Brazilian has only featured sparingly for the national team since making his debut in 2023, and while Chelsea endured a pretty wretched season, Pedro didn’t allow his standards to slip. He was named the Blues’ Player of the Year, scoring 20 goals.
It seemed as if he was a shoo-in not merely to be included on Ancelotti’s roster, but to be Brazil’s starting center forward.
The Italian admitted that Pedro ”probably deserved” to be included, but went down a different route. Neymar is back for his ’last dance,’ and Brentford’s Igor Thiago will get the chance to impress in North America.
12. Luis Suárez (Uruguay)
There will be a Luis Suárez competing at the 2026 World Cup, but he’ll be donning the vibrant colors of Colombia after a productive season with Sporting CP.
Uruguay’s older and more revered iteration had hoped to work his way into Marcelo Biesa‘s plans, having scored six times in 11 MLS games for Inter Miami this year.
However, Bielsa resisted the temptation of welcoming back Uruguay’s record goalscorer for this summer’s tournament. Suárez last played for his country in 2024.
13. Tanner Tessmann (USMNT)
Mauricio Pochettino certainly ruffled a few feathers with his USMNT roster selection, with the return of Giovanni Reyna among the most notable surprises.
Poch has been hindered by injuries heading into the tournament, and the Argentine was forced into a big call regarding Lyon midfielder Tanner Tessmann.
The 24-year-old has been regarded as a shoo-in for the World Cup, especially after Johnny Cardoso sprained his ankle, but Tessman suffered a muscle strain at the start of May and missed the end of Lyon’s 2025–26 season.
While the midfielder had been expected to recover in time for the start of the tournament, Poch hasn’t taken any chances.
