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…