The 2026 World Cup is approaching and the qualifiers are making it clear that big names are not enough. Individual talent is important, but without a team behind it, there is no ticket to the big event.
While some powerhouses already have half a ticket in their pocket, other teams are on the brink of the abyss. And with them, several top-class players who could watch the tournament from home.Five international stars are in serious danger of missing out on the World Cup if their teams do not work a miracle. Established stars who, for now, have the dream further away than their talent deserves.
Not even their talent saves them
Liverpool could see their representation at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada quite scarce, as Isak and Mamardashvili have a difficult time with their national teams.
At Arsenal, Gyokeres also does not have a clear path, while Juventus depends on Vlahovic reaching the milestone with Serbia.
And Atletico Madrid are keeping an eye on the situation of Oblak, whose World Cup dream with Slovenia is hanging by a thread. Will these teams be able to save the day in time?
Alexander Isak
Sweden are at risk of missing out on another World Cup, and all eyes are on Alexander Isak, the most expensive transfer of the season, signed by the Red club for 145 million euros.
The striker, who arrived as one of his country’s great hopes, has yet to score a goal in this phase, and Sweden is out of the fight for direct qualification to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Recent history does not help: the Nordic side missed out on the World Cup in Qatar and Euro 2024, and all indications are that 2026 could be a repeat of history.
Despite his million-dollar value, Isak has not managed to impose himself in a group where they compete with Kosovo, Slovenia and Switzerland, and the direct ticket is slipping through their fingers.
Viktor Gyokeres
The same goes for Viktor Gyokeres. The Swede, who is shining in the Premier League with three goals in seven games, has also failed to score in this World Cup qualifier.
Between the two strikers, they have amassed more than 200 million euros in transfers this summer. Gyokeres was the 13th most expensive, at 65 million euros.
However, for the Blågult there is still a glimmer of hope: as it is a World Cup with 48 teams, the Nations League offers a play-off route for teams that do not qualify directly.
Sweden will have to play two more leagues and wait until November to find out if they will be able to play in the play-offs, where everything will be decided in the semi-final and final.
Giorgi Mamardashvili
Spain thrashed Georgia in their last encounter, and if the scoreline was not even more lopsided, it was thanks to Giorgi Mamardashvili.
The Georgian goalkeeper was spectacular, saving multiple chances and even stopping a penalty from Ferran Torres
Despite this, Georgia has only three points from three matches and is in third place in Group E, behind Spain and Turkey.
Direct qualification is virtually impossible, and reaching second place requires not only winning their next matches, but also hoping that other teams drop points.
Jan Oblak
The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper could miss the 2026 World Cup despite his outstanding performance in the qualifying phase.
The goalkeeper has kept two consecutive clean sheets for Slovenia, but the national team’s poor form puts their participation in the World Cup at risk.
The Reprezentanca has failed to win any of its matches, with three draws and one defeat, and is third in Group B, which it shares with Switzerland, Kosovo and Sweden.
Slovenia are currently four points away from reaching the playoffs, so their chances of direct qualification look complicated and depend on a miracle in the upcoming matches.
Dusan Vlahovic
The last of the five affected is Dusan Vlahovic, striker for Juventus, who is shining in Europe this season with four goals in eight games: two in six league games and two in his two Champions League matches, averaging one goal per game
However, in the qualifying phase for the 2026 World Cup, he has only managed to score once in five matches for Serbia.
The White Eagles are third in Group K, with seven points, four behind second-placed Albania, and behind leaders England, with a five out of five record.
Serbia only has three matches left to play, so its options are clear: win the remaining three matches, score as many goals as possible and hope that England and Albania slip up.
With both rivals unbeaten to date, Serbia’s road to the 2026 World Cup looks extremely difficult.
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