Notable Absences Expected at 2026 World Cup, Including Nigeria and Italy

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Super Eagles

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As the final play-offs for the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026 have been concluded, it promises to be the most inclusive in history, featuring 48 teams across North America.

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In January 2017, following a vote, FIFA announced an increase in participating teams to 48, an additional 16-team increase from 32. The change marks the first World Cup expansion since 1998.

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has been behind the move, saying the World Cup has to be “more inclusive”.

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“We are in the 21st century and we have to shape the World Cup of the 21st century,” he said at a news conference after the announcement. It is the future. Football is more than just Europe and South America; football is global.

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Read Also: FULL LIST: 48 teams that qualified for 2026 World Cup

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“The football fever you have in a country that qualifies for the World Cup is the biggest promotional tool for football you can have.”

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With the increase, additional slots were added to each confederation: UEFA (Europe) getting 16 slots; Confederation of African Football (Africa) with 9 slots; Asian Football Confederation (Asia) with 8 slots; Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football with 6 slots (including host nations); South American Football Confederation with 6 slots; and Oceania Football Confederation with 1 slot, with two additional places decided via intercontinental playoffs.

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However, despite the increase, some top-ranked countries will be missing from the World Cup.

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Italy (FIFA ranking: 12th)

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After winning the 2006 World Cup on penalties, the Azzurri have endured disappointing World Cup appearances, crashing out in the group stage in the 2010 and 2014 editions. In a downward trend, the Italians have now failed to qualify for the last three editions.

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Italy will miss out on a third straight World Cup after falling to Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tuesday’s qualification play-off final, with the Azzurri losing 4-1 on penalties.

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Denmark (FIFA ranking: 20th)

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Denmark will miss out on the World Cup after Michal Sadílek’s penalty sent the Czech Republic through, as they beat Denmark in a shootout in Prague on Tuesday following a 2-2 draw after extra time.

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Denmark will sit out their first World Cup since 2014. They produced their best performance at the Mundial in 1998, reaching the quarter-finals.

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Nigeria (FIFA ranking: 26th)

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Nigeria will miss the World Cup for consecutive editions for the first time since making their debut at the 1994 edition in the US.

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After a faltering qualifying campaign, where the team finished as runners-up in Group C to South Africa, Nigeria failed to secure their place in the final round of the play-offs losing to DR Congo 4-3 on penalties in the African play-off final last November in Morocco.

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Following the conclusion, Nigeria petitioned FIFA, alleging that DR Congo used ineligible players; however, the petition was eventually dismissed.

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Ukraine (FIFA ranking: 32nd)

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Aiming to qualify for a first World Cup in 20 years, Ukraine lost 3-1 to Sweden in Thursday’s qualification play-off semi-final in Spain.

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Unable to play in their country due to Russia’s invasion in early 2022 and the ongoing war, Ukraine played their ‘home’ game about 2,500km (around 1,500 miles) away from their capital, Kyiv.

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Poland (FIFA ranking: 35th)

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Poland failed to qualify after Viktor Gyokeres scored a dramatic late winner to hand Sweden a 3-2 victory in their play-off final on Tuesday.

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In UEFA Group G qualifiers, the country finished second to the Netherlands.

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Another notable team missing is Russia. Due to its military aggression in Ukraine, UEFA has barred Russia from all continental competitions, including qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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It will be the second straight World Cup they will miss, following their exclusion from the 2022 edition for the same reason. The last World Cup they competed in was the 2018 tournament, which they hosted.

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