Rodrygo, Xavi Simons and the biggest stars set to miss out on the 2026 World Cup

Brazil possess a wealth of attacking talent, but Carlo Ancelotti can still ill do without any of his star forwards, particularly those who he has worked and enjoyed success with previously. However, the ex-Real Madrid boss will be unable to call upon Rodrygo this summer after he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in early March.

Having just returned from a previous spell on the sidelines, Rodrygo went down clutching his right knee during Madrid's win over Getafe. His worst fears were subsequently confirmed after undergoing scans the following day, meaning he will miss out on the chance for redemption after having his penalty saved during the Selecao's shootout loss to Croatia in the quarter-finals of the 2022 tournament.

Brazil seem to have been bitten by the injury bug more than most thus far, with Rodrygo's Madrid team-mate Eder Militao also facing up to the prospect of missing the World Cup after being forced to undergo thigh surgery in April. Militao has been beset by fitness issues in recent years, most notably tearing the ACLs in both his knees in the space of 15 months, and is now set to be out of action until October.

Ancelotti is also sweating on the availability of teenage sensation Estevao, who is facing a race against time to prove his fitness after suffering a hamstring injury in April that is set to end his club season at Chelsea.

The one team with depth of attacking talent to rival Brazil's is France, with Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue set to be unleashed by Didier Deschamps in his final tournament at the helm of Les Bleus. They will, however, have to cope without Hugo Ekitike after he suffered a ruptured Achilles in April that is set to rule him out of action for the remainder of 2026.

Ekitike only made his international debut in September, but had firmly established himself in Deschamps' plans following an impressive debut season at Liverpool that saw him score 17 goals for Arne Slot's side, while he even netted what proved to be the winner in France's friendly victory over Brazil in March. However, he will now be forced to watch on from afar this summer.

After reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2024, the Netherlands believe they are capable of challenging for glory this summer. Their hopes, however, have suffered a major blow after it was confirmed in late April that Xavi Simons had torn his ACL while playing for Tottenham against Wolves.

While Simons has struggled for consistency during his debut season in the Premier League following his arrival from RB Leipzig, he has emerged as one of Ronald Koeman's most dependable operators during the current World Cup cycle, while his ability to produce something from nothing in attack will be sorely missed by an Oranje squad that otherwise lacks game-breaking talents.

Germany head to the World Cup with some question marks regarding how they will score goals in North America, and Julian Nagelsmann would have hoped that Serge Gnabry could play a key role in ensuring Die Mannschaft's attack was able to function, given he has scored in four of their last seven games.

However, after a strong season for Bayern Munich where Gnabry has shone as a No.10 behind the free-flowing frontline of Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Diaz, returning double-figures for both goals and assists, he suffered a torn adductor during training in April that means, just like in 2018, he will not be available for selection.

While no player wants to miss out on selection for a World Cup, it hurts even more for those who were set to represent a host nation. It's hard not to feel sorry for United States striker Patrick Agyemang, then, who will miss the tournament after suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury while playing for Derby County in April.

Though Agyemang was not totally assured of a place in Mauricio Pochettino's squad, he did play in both of the U.S.' March friendlies, scoring against Portugal to take his international goal tally to six in just 14 appearances. He had also netted 10 times in the Championship during his debut season for Derby after joining from Charlotte FC last summer, meaning what would have likely been a useful option off the bench for Pochettino is now unavailable to him.

Fellow co-hosts Mexico have also been dealt an injury blow ahead of the tournament after first-choice goalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon ruptured his Achilles tendon while playing for Club America in the CONCACAF Champions League, meaning El Tri will be without the Golden Glove winner from last year's Gold Cup for this tournament.

However, while one player's World Cup dream ends, it presents an opportunity for someone else to step up, and Malagon's absence looks set to open the door for veteran shot-stopper Guillermo Ochoa to feature at his sixth World Cup on the eve of his 41st birthday.