The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup marks the 23rd edition of the tournament and will see 10 African countries compete for the first time in the 48-team edition, as they look to make history and better Morocco’s run four years ago.
While several African stars will be displaying their talents and eyeing inspiring displays for their countries, several others will be watching from home after their countries failed to qualify for the tournament.
Here are the five most valuable African players that will be absent from the 2026 World Cup tournament.
Victor Osimhen (€75 million)
Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has a market value of €75 million and is the most valuable African footballer that will be absent when the World Cup kicks off on Thursday.
The Super Eagles forward is also one of the biggest names to miss out on the tournament, after Nigeria failed to advance past DR Congo in the CAF playoffs final.
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The 27-year-old’s attention will now be on his future, as interest continues to grow from several of Europe’s elite clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window.
Bryan Mbeumo (€75 million)
Cameroonian forward Bryan Mbeumo also has a market value of €75 million and will be a major absentee from the 2026 World Cup tournament, after the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify as they were beaten by the Democratic Republic of Congo in the CAF playoff semifinal.
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The 26-year-old enjoyed a decent season at Manchester United, where he scored 11 goals and provided three assists in his debut campaign and will now shift his focus to becoming more prolific in the coming season for the Red Devils.
Carlos Baleba (€55 million)
Highly rated midfielder Carlos Baleba is another African player that will not be at the World Cup after Cameroon failed to qualify.
The Indomitable Lions had missed out on the automatic ticket in their group to debutants Cape Verde, before they were beaten by DR Congo to end their hopes of qualifying in the playoffs.
Baleba has attracted interest from Manchester United ahead of the transfer window and will now be hoping to reunite with countryman Mbeumo at the Red Devils this summer.
Mohammed Kudus (€50 million)
Ghanaian winger Mohammed Kudus has a market value of around €50 million and is another big name that will be absent from the 2026 World Cup tournament.
The Tottenham Hotspur forward played a major role for the Black Stars in their qualification campaign, but missed out on the final 26-man squad after failing to recover in time from an injury problem, depriving his nation of his talents.
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Kudus will now focus on recovery ahead of next season, while Ghana will face England, Croatia and Panama at the World Cup under head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Yankuba Minteh (€45 million)
Gambian winger Yankuba Minteh is valued at €45 million and rounds off the list of African stars who will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite his impressive rise in recent years, the Brighton attacker was unable to help the Scorpions secure qualification, with Gambia finishing third in their CAF qualifying group behind Ivory Coast and Gabon.
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Minteh’s attention will turn to his future at Brighton & Hove Albion. The 20-year-old is attracting interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with Premier League giants Liverpool monitoring his situation as they eye him as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
