World Cup 2026 injuries: Best XI of stars ruled out of the tournament

Last update at 8 June, 2026⏲️ Reading time: 4 minutes

World Cup 2026 injuries leave stars out of tournament

Rodrygo, Mitoma and Simons headline World Cup 2026 injury setbacks

A list of players who have been unfortunate to miss out on the upcoming World Cup due to injuries that forced their coaches to reshape their plans

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is well underway but, for some of football’s biggest names, the dream of representing their nations has been cruelly taken away from them. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, but to suffer one ahead of a major tournament is the most bitter of pills a professional footballer can swallow.

A number of nations have already been forced to alter their plans after losing key figures to injury, from established starters to game-changing squad players, these absences leave significant gaps.

The following XI is made up exclusively of players whose countries did the hard part of qualifying for the World Cup but who have been harshly ruled out of the tournament through injury. While some teams have the depth to cope with such losses better than others, there is no doubt that the players listed here would have expected to play prominent roles had it not been for their unfortunate setbacks.

GK: Luis Ángel Malagón, Mexico

Malagón looked set to be Mexico’s starting goalkeeper in front of his own supporters before rupturing his Achilles tendon while playing for Club América, leaving Javier Aguirre with a selection headache in a key position.

CB: Éder Militão, Brazil

Brazil’s defensive plans were hit hard when it was announced in late April that Militão would require surgery on a serious hamstring injury. Carlo Ancelotti knows the centre-back well from their time together at Real Madrid, and would likely have been a starter for the Selecao.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt, Netherlands

After months battling persistent back problems this season with Manchester United, De Ligt underwent surgery last month and confirmed himself that he would miss the World Cup.

CB: Cho Yu-min, South Korea

Cho suffered a foot injury in South Korea’s friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago on May 31 and was ruled out for eight weeks, ending his World Cup hopes at one of the final hurdles before the tournament’s kick-off.

RM: Rodrygo, Brazil

Another Real Madrid and Brazil player to suffer an ACL, Rodrygo’s heartbreak was confirmed in March. The winger played five games for his country in Qatar 2022.

CM: Marcel Ruiz, Mexico

Mexico suffered another major setback shortly after Malagón’s injury when Marcel Ruiz tore his ACL. The Toluca midfielder had become a regular under Aguirre, making his absence one of the most damaging blows to Mexico’s midfield planning.

CM: Marcelo Flores, Canada

Flores was ruled out after tearing his ACL while playing for Tigres UANL. Canada coach Jesse Marsch described the squad as “devastated”, with the 22-year-old having recently committed to Canada and earned a place in the World Cup group.

AM: Xavi Simons, Netherlands

Simons played a key part in the Netherlands’ run to the Euro 2024 semi-finals, in which he scored against England. The Tottenham player would have been one of the Netherlands’ focal creative players in North America, but an ACL injury suffered with Spurs towards the back of the season ended his World Cup dream.

LM: Kaoru Mitoma, Japan

Mitoma is renowned for his speed and direct dribbling in one-on-one situations, making him an invaluable asset to the Japanese national side. However, a hamstring injury in May meant that he would have to watch the tournament from the sidelines.

CF: Patrick Agyemang, United States

Agyemang had worked his way into Mauricio Pochettino’s good books after impressing during the March international break, particularly in the defeat against Portugal. Yet the Derby County powerhouse suffered a serious Achilles injury in the Championship, ending his chance of representing the USMNT.

CF: Hugo Ekitike, France

The French striker had a solid first season with Liverpool, scoring 11 goals in 28 Premier League appearances on the back of his €95 million move from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer. However, a ruptured Achilles injury back in April

The World Cup 2026 injured XI (3-5-2)