With the last international break of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign now behind us, some of the Premier League’s top players have cemented their spot at the tournament. Consequently, however, some have to miss out.
Today, we’ll be looking at an XI of the best Premier League players whose countries have failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. It features stars from teams such as Liverpool, Fulham and Manchester United – can you guess who they are?
GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili
Giorgi Mamardashvili failed to qualify with Georgia, as they finished third in their respective group. Mamardashvili has deputised for Alisson and Liverpool recently, with mixed results – at just 25 years of age, he will get several more chances to feature at a World Cup.
RB: Jackson Tchatchoua
Here is a name that may not be familiar to you – Jackson Tchatchoua was snapped up in the summer by Wolves and is one of the quickest players in the Premier League. A Cameroonian international, he missed out on qualification thanks to a late winning goal from DR Congo.
CB: Nikola Milenkovic
Nottingham Forest’s Nikola Milenkovic will be disappointed to have missed out on the World Cup, as his native Serbia finished just a single point behind Albania. Last season was a breakout year for the towering centre-back, though his fortunes have been mixed in the current campaign.
CB: Calvin Bassey
Calvin Bassey is another defender who has struggled this season, often being caught out in possession due to his limited technical ability. Nigeria surprisingly missed out on the World Cup, despite being one of the strongest African teams on paper, as they finished behind South Africa in their group.
LB: Milos Kerkez
Milos Kerkez’s start to life at Liverpool, to put it lightly, has been turbulent. His fortunes have shown no signs of an upturn on the international stage, as Hungary were dumped out of qualification thanks to a last-minute winner from the Republic of Ireland in their final group game.
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