Veteran Midfielder Excluded; England’s Mainoo Misses Out Despite Being Part of Squad
10 talented footballers found themselves sitting on the bench during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite being named to their national teams. Veteran midfielder Paul Pogba was part of France's squad but did not feature in any matches. Mainoo watched every game from the stands for England after failing to play a single minute during the tournament.
Victor Munoz, signed by Liverpool ahead of the World Cup, never got an opportunity to showcase his skills on the biggest stage. An injury before the tournament prevented him from playing a single minute. Arsenal’s David Raya also remained unused as Spain won their third consecutive title under Unai Simon's stellar goalkeeping.
Key players who missed out include:- James Trafford was an unused substitute for England during the entire tournament, while Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson got appearances at the expense of Manchester City’s Trafford.
- Brazil defender Bremer was unable to break into Tite’s team despite his experience. Similarly, Araujo suffered from injuries before the tournament began, missing Uruguay's early games.
- Grimaldo came late for the World Cup and could not displace Atletico Madrid’s Marc Cucurella at left-back. Portugal's Goncalo Inacio also failed to feature under Roberto Martinez after consistent first-team selections at Atletico Madrid and Sporting CP.
- Jurriën Timber started sidelined, though Dutch midfielder Mats Wieffer was among the tournament's most unfortunate, always on the bench for the Netherlands.