As the 2026 FIFA World Cup draws closer, the dreams of some top players to bear the flag of their country are being crushed by unfortunate injuries, and the list appears to be growing day by day.

With the growing likelihood of Estevao Willian missing out for Brazil following a hamstring injury during Chelsea's home loss to Man United in the Premier League, we take a look at 10 stars who have been ruled out for the global showpiece.

10 players already ruled out of the 2026 World Cup 

10. Joaquín Panichelli for Argentina

Joaquín Panichelli has won just one cap for Argentina but his form with Strasbourg made him one of the best strikers expected to light up the World Cup in the colours of the defending champions. Unfortunately, that dream is gone.

The striker bagged 20 goals for his club before his injury during a clash with Nantes in March, where he came off the bench to score a second-half brace, before the anterior cruciate ligament injury that ended his season.

9. Dejan Kulusevski for Sweden

Dejan Kulusevski has not played in almost a year following a knee injury during a Premier League Matchday 36 loss to Crystal Palace at the end of last season, where he was forced off inside the opening 20 minutes.

The Swede hasn't played since then and is not expected to play any part this season, meaning he will not be considered for World Cup selection even if he returns ahead of the competition, due to lack of match fitness.

8. Takumi Minamino for Japan

Japanese playmaker Takumi Minamino suffered a cruel anterior cruciate ligament tear during AS Monaco's 2-1 Coupe de France victory over Auxerre in December, ruling him out of action for the rest of the season.

He will not be back in action until September, and thus will miss the summer World Cup with his country Japan, dealing the Samurai Blue a huge blow as the experience of a player who has been part of the team since 2014 will be missed.

7. Jack Grealish for England

Jack Grealish was able to rejuvenate his career after moving out of Manchester City on loan to Everton at the start of the season, even winning the Premier League Player of the Month for August after an explosive start to life in Merseyside.

He was already making a real case for a return to the Three Lions team before he picked up an unfortunate injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season during a training session, ending his chances of consideration by Thomas Tuchel.

6. Eder Militao for Brazil

The last couple of seasons haven't been kind to Eder Militao, who has suffered a series of injuries, including two anterior cruciate ligament tears since the start of the 2023-24 season, which saw him miss over 130 games.

His recent muscle injury is his third of the ongoing season, and has unfortunately affected the area of a previous wound, and now requires surgery that'll prevent him from appearing in the 2026 World Cup.

5. Mohammed Kudus for Ghana

Ghana has been dealt a huge blow in their bid to have another memorable outing in the upcoming World Cup following the injuries that have prevented Mohammed Kudus from playing since the turn of the year.

The Tottenham Hotspur winger was having a fine start to life in North London before picking up an injury against Sunderland in January, but an unfortunate setback has prolonged his time on the sideline, leaving his World Cup chances in limbo.

4. Serge Gnabry for Germany

A tough one to take for Germany, Serge Gnabry has emerged as one of their most reliable wingers in recent international outings, scoring one and setting up another in a 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in March.

However, his withdrawal against Real Madrid during a Champions League quarter-final looked like nothing until it was later confirmed that he suffered an adductor tear ahead of the meeting with Freiburg, ruling him out not just of the remainder of the season but also of the global showpiece.

3. Xavi Simons for the Netherlands

Xavi Simons had endured a tough first year in England with his Tottenham Hotspur team battling relegation from the top-flight, but his goal and assist performance in a 2-2 draw restored a glimmer of hope in the fight against the drop.

Fate was to be cruel on the Dutch playmaker as he suffered an ACL injury in the second-half of the following match against Wolves, ruling him out of action for the remainder of the year.

2. Hugo Ekitike for France

The Liverpool man was recently talking about how much he relishes the partnership with Kylian Mbappé after starring for Les Bleus in the recent international break, but he wasn't destined to feature in the 2026 World Cup.

The forward suffered an Achilles tendon tear during the second leg of Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final loss to PSG, and was forced to come off in the 31st minute, bringing an end to a good individual season that hasn't gone well for his team.

1. Rodrygo Goes for Brazil 

One of the stars of Brazil as they look to re-establish their dominance in the global showpiece, Rodrygo succumbed to the fate of World Cup absence at the start of March, after Real Madrid's home loss to Getafe.

Although his season at club has not been great, he is one of Brazil's most reliable players and performs best under Carlo Ancelotti, who will definitely miss working with him at the internal camp.