Eighteen players confirmed out of World Cup 2026 before or during the tournament. Brazil lead the injury table with 4 absent — Rodrygo, Militão, Wesley and Estevão all miss out. The Netherlands lose three Premier League players. Scotland are without Billy Gilmour. And Morocco suffered an in-tournament injury on the very first day.
Data sourced from official squad announcements and club medical bulletins. Correct as of 15 June 2026.
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All 18 Confirmed Absences — Full List
Every player whose World Cup 2026 participation was officially ruled out — through squad omission or confirmed medical withdrawal. Sorted by nation.
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🇦🇹Christoph Baumgartner (Austria)Thigh injury · Out since 1 Jun 2026
Out
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🇧🇷Rodrygo (Brazil · Real Madrid)ACL + meniscus rupture · Out since 5 Mar 2026
Out
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🇧🇷Éder Militão (Brazil · Real Madrid)Thigh injury + surgery · Out since 28 Apr 2026
Out
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🇧🇷Estevão (Brazil · Chelsea)Thigh injury · Out since 18 Apr 2026
Out
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🇧🇷Wesley (Brazil · Flamengo)Thigh injury in training · Out since 7 Jun 2026
Out
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🇨🇦Moise Bombito (Canada)Shin fracture relapse · Out since Jun 2026
Out
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🇨🇦Marcelo Flores (Canada)Muscle injury · Out since 31 May 2026
Out
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🇫🇷Hugo Ekitike (France · Eintracht Frankfurt)Achilles tendon rupture · Out since 14 Apr 2026
Out
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🇩🇪Serge Gnabry (Germany · Bayern Munich)Adductor injury · Out since 22 Apr 2026
Out
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🇩🇪Lennart Karl (Germany · SC Freiburg)Thigh muscle tear · Out since 6 Jun 2026
Out
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🇲🇦Abde Ezzalzouli (Morocco · Real Betis)Knee injury (in tournament) · Out since 11 Jun 2026
Out
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🇲🇽Luis Malagón (Mexico)Achilles rupture · Out since 10 Mar 2026
Out
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🇳🇱Xavi Simons (Netherlands · Tottenham Hotspur)ACL rupture · Out since 25 Apr 2026
Out
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🇳🇱Jurrien Timber (Netherlands · Arsenal)Chronic groin · Out since 9 Jun 2026
Out
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🇳🇱Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands · Manchester United)Back surgery · Out since May 2026
Out
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🏴Billy Gilmour (Scotland · Brighton)Knee injury (pre-tournament friendly) · Out since May 2026
Out
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🇪🇸Fermín López (Spain · Barcelona)Metatarsal fracture · Out since 17 May 2026
Out
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🇪🇸Samu Aghehowa (Spain · Porto)ACL rupture · Out since 10 Feb 2026
Out
The Biggest Names Missing
Three of the four highest-profile absences have Premier League connections — a direct concern for UK fans following their clubs through this tournament.
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Brazil — 4 Players Out, Hardest Hit Nation
No nation has suffered more pre-tournament injuries than Brazil. Four players — across the forward line and defence — were ruled out before a ball was kicked.
Éder Militão (Real Madrid): Thigh injury requiring surgery, 28 April. First-choice centre-back.
Estevão (Chelsea): Thigh injury, 18 April. Chelsea’s £52m signing had only just moved to London before his season ended.
Wesley (Flamengo): Thigh injury in training, 7 June — four days before the tournament opened. The latest and most bitter blow.
Despite losing four players, Brazil remain 8/1 tournament favourites with most UK bookmakers. Vinícius Jr, Neymar’s long-standing successor as the focal point of Brazil’s attack, remains fit and is expected to lead their campaign.
Netherlands — Three Premier League Players Gone
The Netherlands lose three players — all of whom play for Premier League clubs. For British fans, this is the most tangible injury story of the tournament.
Jurrien Timber (Arsenal): Chronic groin issue, ruled out on 9 June — three days before the Netherlands’ first match. Timber had recovered from an ACL in 2023; the groin issue is a separate, recurring problem.
Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United): Back surgery in May. The former Bayern Munich centre-back was in contention for a starting berth alongside Virgil van Dijk.
Germany, France, Spain — Other Casualties
| Nation | Player | Club | Injury | Out Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Serge Gnabry | Bayern Munich | Adductor injury | 22 Apr 2026 |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | Lennart Karl | SC Freiburg | Thigh muscle tear | 6 Jun 2026 |
| 🇫🇷 France | Hugo Ekitike | Eintracht Frankfurt | Achilles tendon rupture | 14 Apr 2026 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Fermín López | Barcelona | Metatarsal fracture | 17 May 2026 |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | Samu Aghehowa | Porto | ACL rupture | 10 Feb 2026 |
Germany’s Lennart Karl suffered his thigh tear on 6 June — five days before Germany’s tournament opener. Gnabry’s adductor injury is reportedly a recurrence of a problem that kept him out for several weeks earlier in the season. France lose Ekitike — the Eintracht Frankfurt striker who was Didier Deschamps’s fourth attacking option — to an Achilles rupture, one of the longer recovery injuries in football.
Scotland’s Billy Gilmour — The UK Angle
Injury: Knee, sustained in Scotland’s final pre-tournament friendly, May 2026
Impact: Gilmour was Scotland’s most technically assured central midfielder — capable of playing between the lines against both Morocco and Brazil.
Scotland without him: Steve Clarke’s side beat Haiti 1-0 in their opener, with Ben Gannon-Doak filling the creative void. Scotland face Morocco on Friday in Boston — their best chance to secure a second win without Gilmour.
The Most Common Injury Types at World Cup 2026
- Thigh / muscle tears (5 cases): The most frequent. Typically 6–12 weeks recovery; those injured in April or May often make the tournament, those in June rarely do. Militão, Estevão, Gnabry, Karl and Wesley all fall here.
- ACL ruptures (4 cases): The most season-ending. Minimum 9 months recovery. Rodrygo, Simons, Samu Aghehowa and Bombito — all confirmed season over before the tournament began.
- Achilles ruptures (2 cases): Second-most serious. 6–9 months recovery minimum. Ekitike (France) and Malagón (Mexico) both out since April or earlier.
- Knee injuries (2 cases): Gilmour (Scotland) and Ezzalzouli (Morocco) both listed as knee — severity varies; neither will feature at the 2026 tournament.
- Historically: Muscle and thigh injuries account for approximately 42% of all confirmed World Cup absentees, according to FIFA Medical Centre data across the last five tournaments.
In-Tournament Injury — Morocco’s Ezzalzouli
Injury: Knee injury sustained 11 June 2026 — the opening day of the tournament
Impact: Ezzalzouli was one of Morocco’s most direct attackers. He will miss the remainder of the group stage, including Friday’s match against Scotland in Boston.
For Scotland fans: Morocco face Scotland next without one of their first-choice attackers — a potential advantage for Steve Clarke’s side.
