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The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams, yet even with more places than ever, some of the biggest names in international football are missing. Italy, ranked 12ᵗʰ in the world, are the highest-ranked absentee, left out for a third tournament in a row.
Their absence, along with several other established sides, has reshaped both the tournament and the surrounding sports betting markets. We have used the most recent FIFA ranking, published in April 2026, to order this list.
In this article, we count down the five highest-ranked nations who failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Russia, 35ᵗʰ, are left out, as they have been barred from international football by FIFA and UEFA since 2022, so their absence comes down to suspension rather than results.
Italy
Italy are the most prominent absentee, missing a third consecutive World Cup after losing a play-off to Bosnia and Herzegovina. For a country with four world titles and the Euro 2020 trophy, it is a remarkable fall from grace. The Azzurri have not appeared at the finals since 2014. No absence from these qualifiers was bigger than theirs.
Denmark
Next come Denmark, 21ˢᵗ in the world and beaten on penalties by the Czech Republic in their play-off. It is their first absence from the finals since 2014, ending a run of recent qualifications. The Danes reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020, so a well-regarded side will be watching from home. Their campaign fell away at the decisive moment.
Nigeria
Nigeria, 26ᵗʰ, are the highest-ranked African side to miss out, and they do so for a second tournament running, the first time that has happened in their history. The Super Eagles lost the African play-off final to DR Congo on penalties, with a later appeal to FIFA rejected. A squad including Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman had the attacking talent to go far, but shortcomings in defence and goal told. It is a difficult spell for one of the continent’s traditional powers.
Ukraine
Ukraine sit 32ⁿᵈ and remain without a World Cup since 2006, when they reached the quarter-finals on their only previous appearance. They lost 3-1 to Sweden in the play-offs, a campaign made harder by having to stage home matches abroad because of the war. For a side that has produced several leading players over the years, the wait to return goes on.
Poland
Completing the five are Poland, 36ᵗʰ in the world and beaten 3-2 by Sweden in the play-offs. It is a fall for a nation that finished third at the World Cup in both 1974 and 1982, and probably ends Robert Lewandowski’s hopes of playing at another. One of Europe’s better-known sides will instead follow the tournament from the sidelines.
With these established names watching from home, the World Cup leans more heavily on the sides who came through. The Three Lions, ranked fourth in the world, are among the qualifiers who have featured prominently in England betting during the build-up.
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31 Comments
CS, rest na lol.
We have moved past this hurt na.
Seeing 8 of 10 African teams make the round of 32 even hurts more that feat happened without Nigeria.
Sadly, the world did not collapse.
Senegal got African record of the highest win yet. Morocco surpassed abi equalled Nigeria’s total number of wins because both nations qualified.
Chelle, give those back to back player failures one last afcon next year and tear the squad down
All of them should give way.
We can’t guarantee if any of them will be highly rated in 4 years time or even in prominent clubs and playing actively by then.
8 of 10 African nations in round of 32 facing only 3 more matches later and grace the final.
How did iwobi feel analyzing games on SS the other day when he is still very active?
@Sly, Nigeria will fly at the next world cup.
This SA Pipo are so cheeky!
They defeated us in the qualifying rounds by topping the group, then they invite one of our own to come and analyze world cup games. See what they did there?
They must be laughing their heads off at us and our foolishness.
Those foolish Nigerians. We beat them. Now let them come and analyze the world cup we stopped them from participating in! Hahahahaha!.
Nigeria is not at the w/c all thanks to victor james osimhen…..
For selecting matches to feature in and faking injury….
Lol. You just admitted that the Super Eagles cannot fly without Osimhen, yet you disparage him at any given opportunity. You’d better channel your energy towards making your life better, bcos Osimhen doesn’t even know you exist.
Hahahahhahaha
So in a faceless forum you want me to prove to you that osimhen knows me or what?
Or that my life is far better than the life of all the members of your family??
Hahahahahaha
And Did the super eagles fly when Osimhen played the full 90 minutes in the decisive second leg encounter of the 2022 W/C qualifying playoff against Ghana in Abuja???
Did the suoer eagles fly when we faced moroco in the semis at the last afcon??
You see why I said most of you are not intelligent on this platform….
Hahahahaha…
You’re the least intelligent person on this forum, and that’s why you’re Monkey anyway.
You are the one who said Osimhen is the reason we didn’t qualify and I only emphasized what you just said. Osimhen and I are not the reason for your frustrations in life. Deal with it, monkey.
Even if Osimhen select matches like you mentioned
What happened to those strikers that were called up to replace him
What do you expect from those second choice emmergency dieing minute called up strikers???
I am sorry where you expecting some wonders???
when the chemistry of the super eagles …..
the whole team for over 6 years has already been built around osimhen the first choice striker……
What happened to your last man standing Lookman and your legendary Onuachu……?? LMAOooo
Confused idiot.
Osimhen is not good……Osimhen is all hype…..Osimhen is this, Osimhen is that….but anything he’s not available for the SE you will be crying blood……..LMAOooo
All of a sudden, every other player in the SE is a 2nd choice emergency player…..LMAOooo
Osimhen alone scored 8 goals in 7 matches, unprecedented……probably the highest goals per game ratio by any player in the WCQ Africa zone. True class always stands out.
Whereas some people scored none despite playing more games……LMAOooo….they barely even provided a single assist all through…..LMAOoo
But its osimhen that should be held responsible for Nigeria not being at the world cup……LMAOoo
What am I even doing….? Why waste effort. Common sense isnt common after all.
Hahahahaha….
Ofcourse you know you don’t belong here…
Hahahaha…
This place is not for cheap pigs…
Hahahahaha
If it is time for the oponu to call out his idol cheap records, he is always handy…
Hahahaha
Yen yen yen he scored 8 goals in 7 matches against cheap teams as usual Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Benin Republic and Gabon….
Hahahahaha
But when its time to score those 8 goals, and show he is not all hype and is very very good against very good sides like morocco, ivory coast, ghana, cameroon, south africa….
Hahahahaha
The highest goals per game ratio player will fizzle out….
Hahahahaha
Always showing his highest goals per game ratio against average and below average african teams…
Tueeehhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I pour you and osimhen 9 months old pregnant woman spit for face….
Please remind us how many your last man standing Lookman and your legendary onuachu scored…… LMAOooo
Shameless bastard.
Oh……I forgot, they didn’t play against cheap teams during the qualifiers……LMAOoo…. They played against Brazil, Spain, England and Japan…. LMAOo
Wretched imbecile.
Go and buy eraser and erase all the goals Cristiano Ronaldo scored against the likes of Albania, Litchenstein and San Marino ehn…..because they are cheap teams…… LMAOoo
Disgusting born by mistake.
It’s funny to imagine someone somewhere actually refers to you as his/her child……. LMAOo
Once again….. common sense is indeed not common…… LMAOoo
Osimhen scores against cheap teams yet you cry blood and piss each time he’s not available…….LMaooo…..do you still need a prophet to tell you how stupid that is of you…..??? LMAOooo
The African teams at the WC are the best from the continent, bar 3 = Tunisia, South Africa, and Algeria. These are the weak ones.
If these were replaced by Nigeria, Zambia, and Cameroon, this would have been Africa’s WC. These 3 would even provided more fantastic, dominant performances.
How can SA be squaring off against another average team, Canada? After being placed in an average group of Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Korea. Does Motsepe have a hand?
He rigged the qualifiers for them, ensuring they played 7 home games out of 10, and when it was time to host Nigeria, the coach took us to a rice field where they practically played rugby with us and sent Aina to a 6-month injury layoff.
Yes, it’s true that SA used under handed tactics to get the better of us.
But was it SA or Motsepe that stopped us from winning winnable games? Or were they responsible for the chaos and incompetence that led to hiring a good coach so late in the day? Were they responsible for nonpayment of match bonuses which dampened our players morale?
We should have beaten SA at home in Uyo, What of Zim, Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin?
Even losing to Benin on a neutral ground? These are teams we should have beaten home and away. At a minimum, we should have won all our home games! The only acceptable draw would have been away to SA. Every other game should have yielded 3 points.
We spectacularly shot ourselves in the foot.
If we had a serious football federation, and committed, hungry players, we would be prepping for a round of 32 match right now.
Lol. Pompei, let’s not even talk about NFF, the chronic debtors, misers, and accountants from hell. The penny-wise, pound-foolish administrators. They hired Finidi to save thousands of dollars to share from regular FIFA windfalls.
When they saw their “money-saving” scheme was backfiring, they quickly brought in a quality coach. But it was too little, too late. Now they miss out on all the million-dollar windfalls going to all the African team FAs.
If we probe this heartbreak, the guilty parties wey suppose go jail plenty. NFF is just one of the culprits:
– Finidi
– Boniface
– NFF (Less said, the better).
– Broos (for his underhand tactics in that home again)
– SAFA (Agreeing with Broos above)
– Motsepe (CAF politics, pulling off 7 home matches out of 10 games)
– Lesotho (those ones were helping/playing for their big brother to qualify)
– Awoniyi & Onuachu (forgivable sha, but you see that unserious boy Boniface should just retire from the SE. No fan like am.
– Ekong (Leading a player strike during the playoffs cos they underestimated DRC).
– DRC (For using foreign, unqualified players).
In fact, I blame everybody, including the fans. Lol.
But on a good note, enjoying all the games without tension or pressure is gold. Sometimes it’s good not to be participants. After all, the players no even feel the pain like the fans.
Kel, spot on.
See me as I spread for couch they enjoy world cup games.
If Naija dey there, BP would be thru the roof.
I watched Algeria take a last minute lead against Austria only to concede with the last kick of the game, That crushing disappointment may be new to Algeria fans, but we the Nigeria faithful are used to it. We dey concede last minute goals like no man’s business. .
It’s not so bad watching the games as a neutral.
Please remove Nigeria from this list.
we have been doing ok because we have a deep pool of players, and we finally have a coach who is ready to try new players.
But with NFF Onigbese still at the helm of our football, how can we have a team to reckon with?
How can we improve and make progress, when our officials are only interested in sharing money?
No wonder we failed to qualify for 2 consecutive world cups.
Get rid of the charlatans in the Glass House first, and then you can put us back on this list.
Hahahaha! SA, you do dis one! You chop dis one clean mouth!
After stopping us from going to the world cup, you now invited our guys to come and analyze and explain world cup games? Nice one.
Nigeria can’t represent Africa at the world cup, but we can analyze and explain for Africa.
We go analyze and explain taya.
Make dem dey analyze and explain dey go!
Monkey post, the strikers that were there whenever Osi is not available, i can still remember
Taiwo
Onuachu
Boniface
Sadiq
Arokodare
All these players have been around the team for a while and not emergency…
About building the team around
Osi, I do not agree with you
Taiwo, Sadiq and one other striker played at the afcon 2021 that’s a very good platform for dem to shine….smh my opinion i don’t think strikers like Taiwo, Onuachu, Sadiq Arokodare these guys don’t have anything to contribute to the team
They all lazy as you rightly mentioned
In a tight game if Osimhen managed to get a goal and later substituted , if our opponent get an equaliser, this is when the replacement has to show his moral and character but they freeze and becomes very timid
@Taiwo do you know that osimhen has been around the senior national team since 2017???
And ever since, he has been around till june this year which he last played for the super eagles…..
So you can not copmpare his chemistry which started 2017 with others that started in 2021 and then will disappear and reappear the next 2 to 3 years when we desperately need help up front to get through….
So reason why I call them emmergency strikers….
Yeah that’s correct Brother man,
Osi has been around since
But if am not mistaken Onuachu came b4 Osi
Awoniyi as well but am not really sure of Sodiq, , Sadiq is not new to the team too
Maybe Boniface and we all know that Boniface is not that serious when it comes to National team engagement
Nope! Onuachu came in 2019 bro….
So he can not be before osimhen who made his debut in 2017….
Do your findings…
Hahahaha……dumb ignorant fool. That name “monkey” really fits you.
It is you who needs to go do your findings and stop being an idiot in public….LMaooo
Small kid of yesterday trying to feel among.
Let me lecture your dull empty soul, Awóníyì got his first SE call up as far back as since Stephen Keshi was coach…..the likes of Iheanacho have been there since the days of Sunday Oliseh, Osimhen only became a mainstay after Ighalo retired in 2019, before then Onuachu had more caps than him. He only debuted in 2017 as a sub and never played again until 2019 coming on for Ighalo in the Afcon 3rd place match after Onuachu proved to be not up to task
Once again stop being a dumb idiot.
That Osimhen has been 1st choice in an era where we have several strikers is not mere hype, if he wasn’t delivering he wouldn’t still be 1st choice……if I were you I would stop being a sheepish fool of your own stupidity.
We went to 2021 AFCON without Osimhen, yet none of the strikers we took to that tournament could displace him. He wasn’t available for nearly half of our WCQ, yet none of them could deliver victory for us against the same “cheap teams” Osimhen put 8 goals past in 7 games…… LMAO. Your last man standing Lookman and legendary Onuachu could not score or assist against the likes of Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Benin……. LMAOOO
Ode, Okponu ekeji aja.
Go and get a life and stop fooling around in public with watery senseless arguements…. LMAOOO
Osimhen is the main man in the team, the team is built around Osimhen……yen yen yen yen yen…… LMAOOO
In what law is it written that 2nd choice players are not allowed to out perform and displace 1st choice players…..?
Didinrin, Common fool.
Plis when did Akor make his debut….?? Has it taken 10years for him to score as many goals as Onuachu and Awóníyì….??
As it stands today, Akor who is barely 1yr old in the SE is 2nd choice
Okponu Ayirada omo…… continue ranting aimlessly ehn……i am here to teach you lessons as I always do
Thanks a bunch Dr Drey exactly what i could remember about who came b4 who
Hahahahhaha
I have said it several times, just like most people like ugo a particular forumite that that drey or watever he calls himself works for complete sport….
Hahahaha
Imagine I have written severally with facts backing it….countering all his false claims and manipulation on who came before who in the super eagles but complete sport will not just publish….but will rush to publish his insullts, derogatory claims bcos he is one of them (staff)….
Hahahahaha
I am sure he is the one behind the publishing of comments here…
Or complete sport dont want me to disgrace one of their staff already disgraced ego….
Hahahaha
I am even surprised that no forumite here with good knowledge of football like my friend deo, greenturf, etc is coming to my defense…
Even a common search on a mere google will help anybody that is confused as to who came first to the super eagles between osimhen and awo…………..
This is according to google guys;….
No, Victor Osimhen started playing for and representing the Super Eagles long before Taiwo Awoniyi.Osimhen made his senior debut in June 2017 in a friendly against Togo. In contrast, Awoniyi received his first senior call-up and made his international debut in October 2021 during the World Cup qualifiers against the Central African Republic.While they played together and achieved great success representing Nigeria at the youth level (winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2013 and 2015, respectively), Osimhen established himself in the senior setup years before Awoniyi earned his first cap.Would you like to know more about their goal-scoring records or how they have performed together as a striking partnership for the Super Eagles?
Awo was only invited to camp(training) by the late keshi for some chan engagement of which he later withdrew and did not make the squad becos he had under 19 or is it 20 engagements back then….cant really recall…
Hahahahaha…
Now complete sport you will either tell us whether you want all of us to leave your forum for only drey( one of your own) or we all have equal right to fair hearing….
Cos I dont understand all these bias…..
I understand you were still in your diapers when Keshi invited Awoniyi, Alampasu, Iheanacho and I think Bernard Bulbwa, players from that year’s U17s to the CHAN Eagles after the 2013 World Cup. They all featured in preparatory friendlies leading up to the tournament, but only Alampasu made the final squad……LMAOooo
What I dont understand why you are also to dull and bereft of IQ to comprehend supporting information Google has assisted you with……LMAoooo….what a dumb fool…!!!
According to the same google:
“…….Former Super Eagles head coach Stephen Keshi included Taiwo Awoniyi in a 30-man training camp squad in December 2013 for the 2014 Championship of African Nations (CHAN). However, Awoniyi was ultimately excluded from the final 23-man tournament squad that represented Nigeria. The squad was initially assembled for Nigeria’s debut at the 2014 CHAN tournament held in South Africa……..”
The above was culled by the from a reputable online African news outlet
Awoniyi didnt have any U19 or U20 engagements anywhere……..stop being a cheap shameless liar…….LMAOooo. He simply couldn’t make the final squad and was dropped. Alampasu made the final squad and hence went to CHAN. The CHAN Eagles is also our national team, only that it is restricted to players based in Nigeria……….LMAOooo……Stop trying to twist facts to suit your shameless narrative.
It’s a fact that Awoniyi got called up by Stephen Keshi the then national team coach…..he received a full international call-up to the senior national team in preparation for CHAN in accordance with the rules of CHAN, played friendly games and got dropped. PERIOD…!!! He was not a trialist who sauntered in and out of camp as you want to lie he did, just to disgracefully save face……he got officially called up but couldnt make the Final squad……PERIOD.
The U20 WC was played June/July 2013, the U17 WC was played October/ November 2013……LMAOooo…..2014 CHAN was played in January February 2014. Nigeria does not have an U19 national team nor does it raise its U20 national team 2 years before……So tell us which under 19 or is it 20 engagements Awoniyi had back then…..LMAOoooo…, between November 2013 and February 2014 that made him voluntarily withdraw from a pre tournament camp after being named in the 30 man preliminary squad list………LMAOOoo.
You should be ashamed at how much of a phool you are to want to paint it as some inconsequential Sunday morning kickabout callup which Awoniyi just chose to abandon…….LMAOooo….just to make it sound as it wasnt a big deal or worth acknowledging……..LMAOooo
Shameless liar. Ode okponu omo.
From whatever angle you want to lie about it….he got called up by the national team coach to the national team even b4 Osimhen played for the U17s…….LMAoooo. He tasted national team experience before Osimhen ever did, he played games for the national team when Osimhen was still on the streets. He was in the national team camp preparatory to a major continental tournament when Osimhen was still picking used boots in dumpsites. And it remains a fact he never made the team and has still not been able to displace anybody in the national team 12 years later.
Google…..
Taiwo Awoniyi did not play in any official preparatory friendly matches for the 2014 Championship of African Nations (CHAN) under late coach Stephen Keshi.While Awoniyi (alongside Dele Alampasu and Kelechi Iheanacho) was famously invited to the home-based Super Eagles training camp in Abuja in December 2013 ahead of the tournament in South Africa, he ultimately missed the final cut. Because he was not part of the final tournament squad, he did not participate in any of the pre-tournament friendlies or the championship itself…..
Hahahahahaha
Keep arguing with google…
Anybody still speaking of Taiwo, saudiq, kelechi, Boniface, must be veri veri wiked.
These guys including Samuel, Simon,Ndidi and iwobi nothing good to offer se again. Nobody here, I repeat nobody here must speak of the above players again.
What a wiked fans and players we have here.
Well worded @Wike. Those players are weak.
Well you may have to deal with it,because the likes of Simon,Chukwueze,Ndidi and Iwobi are very much in the plan of the gaffer for the foreseeable future,I’m afraid….
My heart is broken @greenturf, what a wiked and carlous world.
The FA of Uruguay is not taking it lightly with team exit at world cup and here we are wiked fa wants to stick with over hype and non comital players.
Haaaa what wiked board.