The 2026 World Cup in North America was supposed to be a showcase for the game’s biggest stars. And for some of them, it was. But for a surprising number of elite players, the tournament turned into a personal highlight reel of mistakes, missed chances and straight-up invisibility.
We put together a starting 11 of the biggest disappointments. Some of these names will surprise you. Others will make you nod and say, yeah, that checks out.
Goalkeeper: Fernando Muslera (Uruguay)
The veteran Uruguayan keeper has been a national hero for years. But his legacy took a hit in the round of 16 against Spain. A howler that everyone saw coming except him basically handed Spain the game. Reports say Muslera asked to be pulled at halftime. By then the damage was done and Uruguay was packing their bags.
Defenders: Joshua Kimmich (Germany), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Victor Lindelof (Sweden), unnamed Canadian flop
Kimmich wears the captain’s armband for Germany and has to carry some of the weight for another early exit. It’s not all on him but Germany’s tournament struggles have followed his entire senior career. Maybe Jurgen Klopp can fix the culture. Maybe not.
Koulibaly was part of Senegal’s epic collapse against Belgium. Up 2-0 with five minutes left, they found a way to lose. Then he turned in the worst individual performance of the entire tournament against Norway. His reputation is better than his actual World Cup was.
Lindelof finally found some form at Aston Villa but reverted to his old clumsy self on the international stage. Playing under Graham Potter, whose tactical approach seemed to confuse everyone, didn’t help.
One Canadian defender managed zero tackles, zero clearances and zero blocks before getting a red card against Canada. That’s hard to do even if you’re trying.
Midfielders: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal), Scott McTominay (Scotland), Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
Bruno was the Premier League’s Player of the Season. At the World Cup, his most memorable contribution was flapping his arms while his teammates played slow, uninspired soccer. One assist in four games. Not nearly enough.
McTominay scored that wild overhead kick against Denmark to drag Scotland to their first World Cup in 28 years. The Tartan Army showed up in force. McTominay did not. Against Haiti he recorded zero shots on target.
Valverde was supposed to be Uruguay’s engine. Instead he was part of a team that played slow, predictable soccer and went home early. He offered nothing to change the outcome.
Forwards: Neymar (Brazil), Enner Valencia (Ecuador), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Neymar probably shouldn’t have been on the plane. He came in hurt and it showed. His cameos were sad to watch. Then he scored a meaningless penalty in the last seconds against Norway and got caught on camera yelling at the Norwegian goalkeeper. Not a great look for a farewell tour.
Valencia couldn’t score to save his life. Expected goals data says he should have finished with six. He finished with zero. That’s not unlucky. That’s a problem.
Ronaldo is 41 years old. Nobody expected prime Cristiano but you’d think he could offer something. Instead he played way too many minutes, did very little, and looked like a guy who spent too long playing in Saudi Arabia. The karaoke singer who won’t leave the stage even though everyone wants him to.
Coach: Carlo Ancelotti (Brazil)
One of the greatest managers ever. But Brazil’s loss to Norway was a disaster. Ancelotti made weird subs and had no answers as Norway bullied his team. The Viking onslaught was real and he couldn’t stop it.
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