The footballers brought to the World Cup but never played
An early exit was not the only disappointment for footballers at the 2026 World Cup. Whilst some stole the limelight with goals and trophies, a number of the game’s biggest stars experienced a tournament of a different kind: being included in their national teams’ squads, yet completely absent from the pitch. Six weeks of waiting ended without a single minute played, reducing their participation in football’s biggest event to nothing more than a name on the team sheet. The largest World Cup in history saw 1,248 players take part, but a small number of them returned home without their manager giving…
