The 2026 World Cup in North America promises to be a spectacular showcase of global talent, and many of the superstars dazzling fans will be residents of the Santiago Bernabéu. World-class headliners like Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham are all fully primed to shine as they don their national team jerseys for the expanded 48-team tournament.
However, not every member of Real Madrid’s star-studded squad will make the lengthy journey across the Atlantic. Whether it is due to their countries failing to qualify, a drop in the pecking order, or devastating injuries, several prominent names will be forced to watch the action from Spain’s capital.
Here is a detailed breakdown of every Real Madrid player not heading to the 2026 World Cup.
Andriy Lunin (Ukraine)
Somewhat surprisingly, Andriy Lunin is the only member of the Real Madrid senior squad whose national team outright failed to qualify for the tournament. Ukraine’s World Cup dreams were ultimately dashed in the European playoffs, where they suffered a 3-1 semifinal defeat to Sweden.
Lunin was glaringly absent from that crucial matchup due to back pain, and his absence proved costly as Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres fired a hat-trick past backup goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. Because of the loss, the Madrid shot-stopper will have the summer off instead of competing in North America.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
While England breezed through their qualification campaign to become the first European nation to book their ticket, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s spot in Thomas Tuchel’s traveling party is far from guaranteed. In a surprising development, the German manager completely omitted the Madrid right-back from his 35-man roster during the March international break.
Although the former Liverpool standout still has a brief window to prove his worth before the final summer roster is locked in, current projections indicate that the dynamic Englishman could shockingly miss out on the world’s biggest tournament.
Dani Carvajal (Spain)
Dani Carvajal was instrumental in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph and even secured a highly impressive fourth-place finish in the Ballon d’Or voting that same year. Unfortunately, his career has since been heavily derailed by a string of frustrating injuries.
The 34-year-old veteran hasn’t featured for La Roja since September 2025. With his minutes drastically reduced as the club season draws to a close, an omission from the Spain squad this summer appears increasingly likely. If he fails to make the cut, Carvajal has likely already played his last World Cup match.
Rodrygo (Brazil)
In perhaps the most heartbreaking storyline of the summer, a cruel injury has officially shattered Rodrygo’s World Cup dreams. The fleet-footed winger suffered a torn ACL during Real Madrid’s clash with Getafe in early March. With a brutal nine-month recovery timeline, he will not return to the pitch until next season.
Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti would have undoubtedly loved to rely on his former Madrid prodigy for his first major international tournament at the helm. While Ancelotti boasts a wealth of alternative attacking options, missing out on football’s biggest stage is a devastating personal blow for Rodrygo.
