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The 2026 World Cup is beginning to take shape, with a host of nations from across the globe securing their spots for next summer's tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
More could join them in the coming months as the qualifying campaigns draw to a close. England might be one of the latest teams to book its passage to America. However, with only a handful of qualifiers left to play, some countries are at serious risk of not making the cut - potentially leaving some of the Premier League's top stars, including some Liverpool players, watching the tournament from their living rooms in 2026.
With that in mind, we take a look at the biggest names who might fail to qualify.
Sweden
Sweden's qualifying campaign has been nothing short of disastrous so far: under Jon Dahl Tomasson, the Swedes are languishing at the bottom of Group B of the European qualifiers. They've managed just a single point from four matches and suffered a humiliating loss to Kosovo in their most recent game.
It's a perplexing situation given the wealth of talent Sweden has at its disposal, especially in the forward line. Alexander Isak is one of Europe's best strikers, while Viktor Gyokeres also provides a formidable option. Anthony Elanga and Dejan Kulusevski are both pivotal players for their clubs and country, but may not feature in next summer's World Cup.
Cameroon
Switching our focus to Africa, Cameroon has been at the center of one of the most significant stories of the qualifiers so far - regrettably, it's not the country's own World Cup position that's making headlines.
The Indomitable Lions have been pipped to an automatic spot by Cape Verde. Cameroon currently sits second in its group with all matches completed. This puts the team in a precarious position, potentially being one of the fortunate second-placed nations. If Cameroon doesn't make it to the World Cup, players like Bryan Mbeumo and Carlos Baleba will be left behind.
Italy
Italy is no stranger to World Cup disappointment. The four-time winner has missed out on qualification for the last two tournaments and is in danger of making it an unwelcome hat-trick.
Gennaro Gattuso's players are currently trailing Norway in their group with three fixtures remaining. If they can't overtake their rivals, they're likely to end up in the playoffs, which doesn't guarantee a tournament spot.
If Italy fails to qualify, several Premier League stars will be absent from the tournament. Goalkeepers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Guglielmo Vicario are part of the Italian team, while Federico Chiesa and Riccardo Calafiori would be among the disappointed stars. Destiny Udogie and Sandro Tonali would also miss out.
Slovenia
While Mbeumo might be staying at home, his Manchester United colleague Benjamin Sesko could also be among the players missing the World Cup, as Slovenia is also having a disappointing qualification campaign.
Slovenia, currently third in its group with no victories from four matches, has a mountain to climb. With only two games left to secure a spot, Slovenia is banking on Sesko to deliver.
Nigeria
Nigeria, much like Cameroon, is feeling the heat, as it risks missing out on the World Cup. The Nigerians are currently trailing in third place in their qualifying group, three points behind Benin with just one match remaining.
Their final game, ironically against Benin, is a must-win if they hope to qualify automatically. They'll also need South Africa to drop points. If Nigeria manages to pull this off, Fulham's Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi will undoubtedly breathe a sigh of relief.
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