One of the most significant failures was the Georgian team, which showcased a bright performance at Euro 2024. However, in the qualifying stage, the Georgian national team managed to achieve only one victory out of six matches, which deprives it of stars like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Georges Mikautadze, and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Slovenia also failed to qualify for the championship, despite having stars like goalkeeper Jan Oblak and forward Benjamin Šeško in their squad. In this context, Hungary and Serbia have added their names to the list of European teams that did not make it to the tournament.
On the African continent, one of the most resonant exits was Nigeria, which lost to the DR Congo in a penalty shootout, missing the opportunity to showcase talented players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman. Cameroon, Gabon with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Central African Republic with Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Guinea also failed to qualify.
In South America, Chile found itself out of the championship, unable to withstand the competition for the limited spots.
Meanwhile, in Europe, the intrigue remains: several strong teams will compete in the playoff matches. Italy, Turkey, Poland, Sweden, Ukraine, Denmark, Slovakia, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are set for tense encounters for the remaining six spots. Each of these teams risks adding themselves to the list of notable exits.
Thus, the 2026 World Cup may take place without many stars of world football, which adds a special tension and unpredictability to the playoff matches.
