2026 World Cup: The Biggest Star Players Ruled Out Through Injury

Every soccer player’s lifelong ambition is to represent their country at the World Cup. For many, those dreams will come true this summer.

The United States, Canada and Mexico will stage the 2026 edition of soccer’s most loved and prestigious tournament, a festival of drama, passion and chaos certain to be defined by moments of individual inspiration.

However, a thought must be spared for those who won’t make this summer’s spectacle. Not due to underperformance or their nation’s absence, but simply because of a cruel and dream-shattering injury blow.

Here are the unfortunate stars who are set to miss the 2026 World Cup due to fitness issues.

Argentina

Argentina is without one member of its 2022 World Cup-winning squad this summer. Villarreal defender Juan Foyth has been sidelined until the beginning of next season after rupturing his Achilles tendon.

Joaquín Panichelli, who made his debut for Argentina last November following an impressive term with Strasbourg, misses out on the chance to sneak into the squad after tearing his ACL for the second time.

Three-cap Argentina international Valentín Carboni is also sidelined after suffering an ACL injury while on loan at Racing Club.

Player	Club	Injury
Juan Foyth	Villarreal	Achilles
Joaquín Panichelli	Strasbourg	ACL
Valentín Carboni	Racing Club (on loan from Inter)	ACL

Austria

Christoph Baumgartner was halfway through Austria’s penultimate friendly before the World Cup began when he came off with discomfort in his thigh. Subsequent tests found that RB Leipzig’s prolific forward would be unable to recover in time for the tournament in what manager Ralf Rangnick described as “very bitter news.”

Player	Club	Injury
Christoph Baumgartner	RB Leipzig	Thigh

Brazil

Rodrygo was the first significant casualty for Brazil ahead of the tournament. The Real Madrid starlet and 37-cap international will be forced to watch on from the sidelines after tearing his ACL.

Carlo Ancelotti’s attacking options have also been affected by an injury to Chelsea star Estêvão, whose hamstring complaint has seen him omitted from the Italian’s final squad for the tournament.

The eternally injured Éder Militão also misses out on a reunion with his former manager at the World Cup, left behind due to his devastating hamstring injury.

Neymar was included in Brazil’s squad for what will almost certainly be his final World Cup, but the injury-prone veteran is once again suffering with fitness issues—and could miss some group stage matches.

Player	Club	Injury
Estêvão	Chelsea	Hamstring
Rodrygo	Real Madrid	ACL
Éder Militão	Real Madrid	Hamstring

Canada

Marcelo Flores impressed in his first camp with Canada. | Leonardo Ramirez/Eyepix Group/Imago

Canada’s entire World Cup buildup was dominated by injury talk. Yet, while Jesse Marsch decided to take his chances by including a half-fit glut of star names, Marcelo Flores was forced to pull out after tearing his ACL on the eve of the tournament.

Player	Club	Injury
Marcelo Flores	Tigres UANL	ACL

England

England has a wealth of riches to select from ahead of the tournament, but one option is unavailable through injury. Jack Grealish has missed the last four months with a foot issue and won’t be in contention for Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

Ben White was not guaranteed a place at the World Cup, but his involvement was always unlikely after suffering a knee injury described as “significant” in May.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Jack Grealish	Man City (on loan at Everton)	Foot	Out
Ben White	Arsenal	Knee	Out

France

The look of Hugo Ekitiké’s face said it all. After an awkward slip during Liverpool's Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain in April, the French striker heard his Achilles before he hit the turf.

“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team,” Didier Deschamps insisted. Yet, there won’t have been many rival fans feeling too bad for Les Bleus, who can replace the Liverpool striker with any of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, et. al.

Midfield depth is not so abundant for France and Boubacar Kamara is a bigger miss than many may even realize. The influential defensive midfielder had been enjoying an excellent season with Aston Villa, but missed out on Deschamps’s squad through injury.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Hugo Ekitiké	Liverpool	Achilles	Out
Boubacar Kamara	Aston Villa	ACL	Out

Germany

Injury problems continue to derail the career of Marc-André ter Stegen, who suffered a devastating hamstring injury on his debut with loan club Girona. The Barcelona stopper hasn’t played for Germany since June due to injuries and his absence this summer has even prompted a recall for 40-year-old Manuel Neuer, the veteran stepping out of international retirement.

Another blow Die Mannschaft is the absence of Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry, who misses the tournament through a thigh injury. The 30-year-old had produced 23 goal involvements this season prior to his ailment.

Lennart Karl would also join the injury casualties after pulling up with a torn thigh muscle just nine days before the tournament’s start.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Marc-André ter Stegen	Barcelona (on loan at Girona)	Hamstring	Out
Serge Gnabry	Bayern Munich	Thigh	Out

Ghana

Ghana’s pre-tournament chaos has been exacerbated by the absence of Mohammed Kudus from their final roster. The Tottenham Hotspur star suffered a setback during recovery from a nasty quad injury and will be absent in North America.

Namesake Mohammed Salisu of Monaco is also unavailable for Ghana through an ACL tear.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Mohammed Kudus	Tottenham	Quad	Out
Mohammed Salisu	Monaco	ACL	Out

Japan

Ex-Liverpool star Takumi Minamino will sit the tournament out after tearing his ACL, while Brighton & Hove Albion gem Kaoru Mitoma was forced to miss out on the final roster with a hamstring injury suffered just a little too late in the season.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Takumi Minamino	Monaco	ACL	Out
Kaoru Mitoma	Brighton	Hamstring	Out

Mexico

Julián Araujo of Mexic — Julián Araujo won’t be involved. | Omar Vega/Getty Images

Toluca’s Marcel Ruiz and Club América goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón will miss out with serious knee injuries, while Bournemouth’s Julián Araujo is also set to be omitted due to a hamstring injury which has sidelined him since March.

Copenhagen defender Rodrigo Huescas sits out due to an ACL injury.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Marcel Ruiz	Toulca	ACL	Out
Luis Ángel Malagón	Club América	ACL	Out
Rodrigo Huescas	Copenhagen	ACL	Out
Julián Araujo	Bournemouth	Hamstring	Out

Netherlands

Matthijs de Ligt has been missing since the end of November with an awkward back injury which seemingly refuses to heal. It was confirmed in May that the defender would lose his race against time to be fit before the end of the season.

Another player won’t make it to North America this summer is Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Xavi Simons, who took to social media to reveal he was “heartbroken” to learn a knee injury has ended his hopes of appearing at the tournament.

17-cap enforcer Jerdy Schouten is also absent with an ACL injury sustained for PSV Eindhoven in early April.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Xavi Simons	Tottenham	Knee	Out
Matthijs de Ligt	Man Utd	Back	Out
Jerdy Schouten	PSV	ACL	Out

Scotland

Billy Gilmour receiving treatment. — Billy Gilmour was struck down by injury in a warm-up friendly. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

After damaging his knee in Scotland’s warm-up friendly, Napoli’s Billy Gilmour couldn’t even get swept away by devastation. He hadn’t processed it yet.

“Being so close to a childhood dream of mine, to play in a World Cup and now it has been taken away from me with an injury,” he wrote. “It’s been a tough one to get my head around.”

Player	Club	Injury
Billy Gilmour	Napoli	Knee

Spain

Fermín López throwing his head back in frustration. — Fermín López will miss what would have been a first World Cup. | Pablo Rodriguez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

The mightily impressive form of Fermín López was set to be rewarded with a maiden World Cup voyage, but the Barcelona star has been forced to undergo surgery on a foot injury and will now have to wait until 2030 for his first taste of the competition.

Up-and-comer Samu Aghehowa, who has made four senior Spain appearances, is out of contention through an ACL injury.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Fermín López	Barcelona	Foot	Out
Samu Aghehowa	Porto	ACL	Out

United States

The USMNT is without Cameron Carter-Vickers this summer as the defender continues his recovery from an Achilles tear.

Derby County striker Patrick Agyemang also isn’t be involved, the 25-year-old ruled out with a serious Achilles injury. Atlético Madrid midfielder Johnny Cardoso will sit out the tournament, too, after sustaining a high-grade ankle injury.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann misses out after suffering a broken neck in April.

Player	Club	Injury	Status
Patrick Agyemang	Derby County	Achilles	Out
Johnny Cardoso	Atlético Madrid	Ankle	Out
Cameron Carter-Vickers	Celtic	Achilles	Out
Jonathan Klinsmann	Cesena	Neck	Out

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