Summertime Sadness Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nation Didn't Qualify

A back-to-back UEFA Champions League winner with PSG in 2025 and 2026, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia established himself as one of the most exciting wingers in world football heading into World Cup 2026. Georgia qualified for their first major international tournament at UEFA Euro 2024, where Khvicha scored in a historic 2-0 win over Portugal in the group stage.

They failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup from UEFA Group E, registering just one win against Bulgaria and losing their other five qualification matches.

Answer: Nation Didn't Qualify

A proven goalscorer in the domestic leagues of France, Italy and Turkey, Victor Osimhen was the second-highest scoring player for the Nigerian national football team at the start of World Cup 2026. However, he and his nation failed to qualify for the tournament.

He was forced off with an injury at half-time of the qualification final against Democratic Republic of the Congo, which they lost on penalties.

Answer: Nation Didn't Qualify

A former French youth international, Serhou Guirassy began representing Guinea in 2022. Despite a clinical goalscoring record at domestic level with the German club Borussia Dortmund, which saw him ranked as the 21st best footballer in the world in the 2025 Ballon D'Or rankings, Guirassy scored just one goal in the World Cup qualification rounds as Guinea finished fourth of six teams in CAF Group G.

Answer: Nation Didn't Qualify

A UEFA Champions League winner and "Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper" winner with Paris Saint-Germain in 2025, Gianluigi Donnarumma was the captain of an Italy squad that spectacularly failed to qualify for its third consecutive World Cup in 2026. Italy lost their play-off final to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout. Donnarumma did have some historical international success, however, winning UEFA Euro 2020 as the starting goalkeeper.

Answer: Nation Didn't Qualify

One of the greatest strikers of all time, who has scored over 700 goals for club and country, Robert Lewandowski's Poland failed to qualify for World Cup 2026 after a 3-2 loss to Sweden in the second round of UEFA qualification. Lewandowski played in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup tournaments, scoring zero goals in the former and two goals in the latter.

Answer: Snubbed

An incredible talent who scored in the UEFA Euro 2024 final, Cole Palmer's form and fitness deserted him in the 2025-26 Premier League season and he was left out of the squad by England manager Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel cited "a lack of individual form within the club" and a record at international level under his tenure that was "just not outstanding" as the reasons for his omission. Tuchel claimed it was one of the "most difficult phone calls to make" when he informed the English playmaker, who finished 8th in the 2025 Ballon D'Or ranking, that he would not make the squad.

Answer: Snubbed

Despite being considered one of the best right-backs in the world heading into the 2026 World Cup tournament, Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out of the England squad by manager Thomas Tuchel. Trent had previously been left out of qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in August 2025, with the England manager claiming he "has to take the defensive part" of his role "very, very seriously" to make the team.

Answer: Snubbed

Netherlands-born Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid from Bournemouth in the summer of 2025, but his domestic form dipped at the end of the 2025-26 season, leading Spain manager Luis de la Fuente to leave him out of the 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. For the first time in Spain's World Cup history, no Real Madrid player made the Spanish squad.

This was technically changed somewhat when Real Madrid signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea midway through the tournament.

Answer: Snubbed

Perhaps the most shocking snub of all in the Brazil national squad, João Pedro was left out despite a fine run of form for Chelsea in the 2025-26 Premier League season. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti was quoted as saying "of course we are sad for João Pedro", "he probably deserved to be on this list" and "we chose another player".

Despite the shock, the Brazilian striker had failed to score for the Brazilian national team in his first eight senior international appearances prior to the tournament.

Answer: Snubbed

A FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, Dybala was left out of the 2026 World Cup by manager Lionel Scaloni who opted to give other players "who have established themselves in that position on the pitch" a chance instead. Dybala was also left out of Argentina's 2024 Copa America squad.

Answer: Injured

Another immense talent who was included in the Netherlands squads for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024, Xavi Simons missed out on the 2026 World Cup after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for Tottenham Hotspur in April 2026. The Barcelona and PSG academy graduate scored an incredible goal in his nation's UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final loss to England.

Answer: Injured

A French international who had begun to establish himself in the France senior men's international team in 2025, Hugo Ekitike missed World Cup 2026 after injuring his achilles tendon during a UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against PSG in April 2026. Ekitike joined Liverpool in July 2025 and scored his first Premier League goal on his debut against Bournemouth.

Answer: Injured

A talented attacking midfielder who enjoyed the most productive season of his career to date in 2025-26 with thirteen goals and seventeen assists in all competitions, Fermín López missed out on the 2026 World Cup after undergoing surgery on a foot fracture in May 2026. Fermín was a member of Spain's UEFA Euro 2024 winning squad, making one substitute appearance against Albania.

Answer: Injured

Another incredible talent heading into the 2026 World Cup, Brazil's Estêvão Willian suffered a serious hamstring injury playing for Chelsea against Manchester United in April 2026, which ruled him out of the tournament. Estêvão scored his first senior international goal for Brazil against Chile at the age of 18 and scored four goals in his next five international games after that, including a brace in a friendly against South Korea.

Answer: Injured

The only player in this quiz who was initially named in his nation's World Cup 2026 squad, Billy Gilmour suffered a knee injury in a warm-up friendly against Curaçao that ruled him out of the tournament. He was replaced by Manchester United midfielder Tyler Fletcher. Gilmour had previously represented Scotland at UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024.