Manchester City · UEFA Nations League · Goalkeeper · #25 · Italy · 26 yrs
The 2026 World Cup will be missing several of global soccer's biggest stars, enough to construct an incredibly elite Absent XI watching from home. The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be an unprecedented, historic spectacle. For the first time, 48 teams will compete across three host nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada—chasing the ultimate glory in soccer history. The tournament in North America is ready to welcome icons of the game like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappe. Yet, a striking list of world-class talent will be noticeably missing from the pitch this summer. For some, an agonizingly timed injury shattered their World Cup dreams, as seen with Brazil’s Eder Militao and Rodrygo, or Germany’s Serge Gnabry. For others, the omission comes down to strict, high-stakes managerial decisions. Powerhouse nations boast such intense roster competition that managers have ruthlessly left behind star names, highlighted by Thomas Tuchel’s shocking decisions to omit Cole Palmer and Trent Alexander-Arnold from England’s final 26-man squad. Trent Alexander-Arnold of England. (Getty Images) The 2026 World Cup Absent XI Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy): Despite racking up 64 caps and an Euros trophy for his country, the Manchester City star will incredibly miss his third consecutive World Cup after Italy once again failed to qualify. Defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold (England): In one of the most controversial roster cuts of the year, England boss Thomas Tuchel opted to leave the elite playmaker out of his tactical plans for North America.Harry Maguire (England): Another high-profile casualty of Tuchel’s defensive overhaul for the Three Lions.Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands): The Manchester United center-back was forced to accept defeat and miss the tournament entirely after undergoing corrective back surgery in mid-May.Marcos Acuña (Argentina): A 2022 World Cup winner who will not be defending the crown, having been entirely excluded from Lionel Scaloni’s highly competitive squad. Midfielders Sandro Tonali (Italy): Much like his compatriot Donnarumma, the dynamic Newcastle midfielder is trapped on the outside looking in due to Italy’s qualification failure.Eduardo Camavinga (France): In a testament to France’s terrifying midfield depth, the Real Madrid star was left out of Didier Deschamps’ final World Cup squad selection.Cole Palmer (England): Perhaps the most shocking tactical omission in the World Cup. Despite a sensational club season, Palmer was left off England’s flight to the United States by Tuchel. Forwards Rodrygo (Brazil): The Seleção frontline takes a massive hit as the Real Madrid winger was officially ruled out due to a late physical injury.Robert Lewandowski (Poland): The legendary striker misses out on one final World Cup run after Poland suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Sweden in the UEFA playoff final.Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia): The PSG star won’t bring his signature flair to North America, as Georgia was unable to navigate the brutal European qualifying cycles.
From Donnarumma to Kvaratskhelia, this all-star team, with a maximum of two players per country, all have the summer offThe 27-year-old Italy captain is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. After moving to Manchester City, he has quickly adapted to the Premier League demands for ball-playing, a skill he honed at Paris Saint-Germain. Despite his Euro 2020 penalty-saving heroics, Donnarumma failed to stop a single one against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Azzurri’s crunch World Cup playoff. Continue reading...
An Italy squad featuring 21 uncapped players will take on Luxembourg and Greece in friendlies this week, after they missed the World Cup. The post Baldini praises ‘humble’ Donnarumma and Esposito for leading young Italy squad appeared first on SoccerNews.
Strikes by Dominik Szoboszlai and Alex Iwobi redefined what is possible, but Leandro Trossard’s mattered mostWith most free-kicks, we’ve a decent idea where the taker can put them, which is why Dominik Szoboszlai’s effort against Arsenal, though it was a brilliant late winner, hasn’t been picked here: the execution, replete with whip and dip, was perfect, but we knew in advance that what turned out to be possible was possible. On the other hand, his goal against Manchester City – which edges Anton Stach’s for Leeds at Villa – was a mind-boggler. It’s fair to wonder why the wall contained only two men, but equally so to counter that he was so far out, the keeper wanted a decent view – and didn’t he get the perfect aspect. Hit with the laces, the ball jiggling, dipping and swerving at improbable angles, Gianluigi Donnarumma anticipated an inswinger then, when it turned out to be an outswinger, didn’t even get to attempt a save because, once it was clear which way the shot was actually going, it was far, far too late, a cursory step in the right direction all he had time for as an incredible, unsaveable effort shrieked past him and in off the post, three-quarters of the way up. Continue reading...
