With the 2026 FIFA World Cup scheduled to start on June 11, 2026, in North America, five of the EPL’s legendary stars will not be playing.
Instead of Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Estêvão Willian, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Bryan Mbeumo running on the pitches, they will become the spectators.
Tuchel’s Shocker: Palmer and Foden Axed
The new England manager, Thomas Tuchel, made a big decision. He left Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Manchester City’s Phil Foden out of his final 26-man squad.
Palmer did a great job for Chelsea this season, but Tuchel dropped him because his form dropped at the end of the year.
“I think he suffers from a lack of individual form within the club. His record with us was just not outstanding,” Tuchel said.
Tuchel explained that his goal is to build the best team, not just to pick the most talented players.
Thomas stated that he struggled to find the right position for Foden in his new, fast-paced tactical system, adding that he was not sure whether to deploy Foden as a number 10, a false nine, a central midfielder, or a winger, and preferred not to select him to go and just sit on the bench.
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The Injury Tragedy: Estêvão’s Broken Dream
Estêvão Willian, Chelsea’s 19-year-old winger, was going to be Brazil’s attacking weapon in the World Cup, but unfortunately, an injury struck him.
Estêvão injured his leg during a match against Manchester United in April and sustained a grade 4 hamstring injury, which forced Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti to leave him out of the squad.
“We are very sad for Estêvão because he was in a spectacular moment. Losing a special talent like him right before a World Cup hurts the whole national team,” Ancelotti explained to reporters.
Willian is now in Brazil receiving medical treatment, hoping to be ready to play for Chelsea’s pre-season games in the summer.
Liverpool’s forward Hugo Ekitiké suffered an injury while playing against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) during the first half of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg match at Anfield Stadium back in April. He ruptured his Achilles tendon, ending his dreams of playing for France.
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World Cup Qualification Heartbreak: Szoboszlai and Mbeumo Sliced
For Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo, the problem is different, as their national teams did not qualify for the World Cup.
Szoboszlai is the captain of Hungary, but despite playing very hard, they lost in the European group stages.
At the same time, Cameroon winger Bryan Mbeumo saw his World Cup dream end when Cameroon lost a play-off match to DR Congo.
Global Superstars Forced to Watch from Home
The World Cup will also miss big stars from other leagues. Nigeria lost their play-off final against DR Congo, sending superstar striker Victor Osimhen and his teammate Ademola Lookman to watch the tournament from home.
Barcelona’s legendary striker, Robert Lewandowski, will not play after Poland lost a match to Sweden.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s fast winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will also be absent because his team finished third in the group stages.
