The absence of sides such as Italy, Serbia, Poland and Nigeria means a host of Serie A stars will be watching the tournament from home instead of featuring on football's biggest stage.

The expanded competition, set to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, promised more opportunities than ever. Yet qualification has still delivered its share of shocks.

Italy's elimination by Bosnia, Denmark's play-off defeat to the Czech Republic and Nigeria's collapse in the African qualifiers are among the standout disappointments.

These failures have had a direct impact on Serie A, leaving many of its top players without a place at the 2026 World Cup. For some, it represents a missed career milestone; for others, potentially their last chance to appear at a World Cup.

Here are some of the notable Serie A players who will miss the 2026 World Cup:

- Nicola Zalewski (Poland, Atalanta)

- Piotr Zielinski (Poland, Inter)

- Gianluca Mancini (Italy, Roma)

- Alessandro Bastoni (Italy, Inter)

- Nicolo Barella (Italy, Inter)

- Federico Dimarco (Italy, Inter)

- Rasmus Hojlund (Denmark, Napoli)

- Adam Marusic (Montenegro, Lazio)

- Nikola Krstovic (Montenegro, Atalanta)

- Gustav Isaksen (Denmark, Lazio)

- Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia, Napoli)

- Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon, Napoli)

- Maduka Okoye (Nigeria, Udinese)

- Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Nigeria, Lazio)

- Vanja Milinkovic-Savic (Serbia, Napoli)

- Dusan Vlahovic (Serbia, Juventus)

- Lazar Samardzic (Serbia, Atalanta)

- Strahinja Pavlovic (Serbia, Milan)

- Edon Zhegrova (Kosovo, Juventus)

Despite the expanded format, the 2026 World Cup will once again underline the brutal nature of international football: even elite players, competing at the highest level in leagues like Serie A, are never guaranteed a place on the global stage.

M. Okoye

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