When it comes to World Cup football, one nation almost always springs to mind – Brazil. With more World Cups under their belt than any other team, there is good reasoning behind this thought process.
Due to this, there are a number of top Brazilian stars who will miss out on the 2026 World Cup. In this piece, we’ve put together an XI of Brazil players who probably won’t be at the tournament – do you agree with our picks?
GK: Lucas Perri
Lucas Perri has been unfortunate to have been born into the same era as Ederson and Alisson – due to their extensive abilities, he has yet to win a cap for his country.
This likely will not change in the summer. Alisson remains one of the best ‘keepers in the world – as such, the Leeds United man will need to wait a little longer.
RB: Vanderson
Injuries have posed a long-standing plight for Vanderson this season. He has suffered at least two injury issues this season, including a hamstring problem that kept him out of action for almost two months.
A cultured attacking full-back, Vanderson is only 24 years of age – his time will come eventually, but we’d be surprised to see him in Brazil’s squad this year.
CB: Thiago Silva
Thiago Silva is a Brazilian legend – sadly, the former Chelsea and PSG superstar is well beyond his prime years, despite still being a capable hand.
Aged 41, he currently plays for Porto, who are top of the Primeira Liga – however, he has only made five league appearances for them this season.
CB: Murillo
Murillo has had a disappointing campaign with Nottingham Forest this season. He looked fantastic in 2024/25 – as such, his performances in 2025/26 have been a real let-down.
It hasn’t been his fault exclusively – Forest have underperformed overall, but he will need to do more if he wants to remain a regular member of the Brazil team.