The World Cup is the biggest event in sports, and we've traditionally seen the soccer market heat up around it, even when it's in the winter, as in 2022. Here comes 2026 with an expanded field - 48 teams from the traditional 32 - and even with that, a few big teams missed the tournament. A traditional power, Italy, missed the World Cup for the second straight tournament. While their players have struggled in the market lately, it's not a huge loss for the hobby. The same could be said for Denmark after Rasmus Hojlund hasn't really developed. Greece has had four chase rookies over the last two classes - Forward Charalampos Kostoulas, Forward Stefanos Tzimas, Midfielder Christos Mouzakitis, and the gem of the group, Midfielder Konstantinos Karetsas. All are missing a crucial tournament. Plus, there's the group of talented players from smaller countries that didn't qualify: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia of Georgia, Dominik Szoboszlai of Hungary, and Benjamin Sesko of Slovenia. However, for this list, we are looking at players from countries that qualified but were not selected to represent their countries. Who Didn't Quite Make the List of World Cup SnubsNov 30, 2022; Al Rayyan, Qatar; France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga (25) looks on during the second half against Tunisia | Yukihito Taguchi-Imagn ImagesThere are a few players who have a solid market at one point or another, but aren't hot names right now and have missed out. Starting with French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, he was a surprise snub from the French National Team, but after a rough season at Real Madrid and inconsistent playing time, he missed out. His market has struggled over the last few years after his big-money move to Madrid and a lack of consistent playing time, but at one point, his rookies in the 2020-21 class did command decent money.Speaking of the 2020-21 rookie class, German forward Karim Adeyemi missed out after an up-and-down year at Borussia Dortmund. He seemed like a lock in the fall with some of his Champions League performances, but late-season injuries and inconsistency held him out.A pair of Portuguese midfielders round out our "not quite there" list. 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes of West Ham and 19-year-old Rodrigo Mora of Porto both missed out. Fernandes was the engine that nearly saved the West Ham season in the second half, before ultimately getting relegated. Meanwhile, Mora played well above his age, starting in the Europa League. Both missed out because Portugal inexplicably carried a fourth goalkeeper for the tournament. Forward Geovany Quenda, PortugalGeovany Quenda 1/1 Dynasty RPA | Card LadderTop Sale: A chase rookie in the 2024-25 class, his 1/1 Topps Dynasty Rookie Patch Auto sold for $10,500 in March of 2026. Why He Missed Out: Quenda seemed like a lock in the fall when he was scoring at will for Sporting in the Champions League. Then an injury in December kept him out until late April, and he wasn't able to get back in form.What it Means for His Market: He's still incredibly young and, like Mora, recently turned 19. He was also part of the unnecessary roster crunch by taking a fourth goalkeeper. His market is down; his last sale on June 1st was a /199 Merlin Rookie Auto that sold for $40. That same card was selling for $70+ after release. Attacking Midfielder Diego Luna, United StatesDiego Luna Superfractor 1/1 Auto | Card LadderTop Sale: 2023 Topps Finest MLS Superfractor RC Auto 1/1 sold for $2,896 in August of 2025. Why He Missed Out: Injuries, mostly. Luna missed the early portion of the MLS season, but he had been playing well upon his return, with 4 goals and 1 assist in 9 games (6 starts), though he hasn't played since leaving a May 13th game early. What it Means for His Market: It is devastating. He was featured all over the Nike and Fox Sports ads for the World Cup. Fox ended up having to re-cut an ad they were running that featured him prominently. His market had been heating up before the announcement he missed out on, including three of his top five sales of all time in May.Forward Joao Pedro, BrazilJoao Pedro Donruss Elite Fireworks 1/1 | Card LadderTop Sale: 2021-22 Donruss Elite Black Fireworks 1/1 RC sold for $10,000 in February of 2026.Why He Missed Out: A great question! Even Brazilian manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted he probably deserved a place in the squad. What it Means for His Market: This is even more devastating than Luna missing out. While Luna is 22, Pedro is 24, and he has now missed out on consecutive major international tournaments with Brazil and has fallen behind the pecking order of significantly younger players. He had a phenomenal season at Chelsea and was named their player of the season. His market was quite hot to start 2026, as Pedro had three of his top five all-time sales this year and seven of his top 10. Winger Phil Foden, England2022 World Cup Prizm Phil Foden 1/1 | Card LadderTop Sale: Phil Foden's 2022 World Cup Prizm Black 1/1 Prizm sold for $9,219 in November of 2022. Why He Missed Out: Foden has struggled the last few seasons at Manchester City. Still, it is a surprise to see a consistent starter for the second-best team in England not make the squad without an injury. What it Means for His Market: It's not great! Foden, 26, has been a mainstay for the English National Team since getting called up in 2020. While he was a consistent starter for Manchester City, he had a down year with just 7 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League. His market had been cooling off since the highs of the 2023-24 season, when he had 19 goals and 8 assists. Forward Cole Palmer, EnglandCole Palmer Green Kaboom 1/1 PSA 10 | Card LadderTop Sale: His 2025 Panini Prizm Club World Cup Green Kaboom 1/1 sold for $42,000 in a PSA 10 back in March of 2026. Why He Missed Out: Injuries and the dip in form that followed. What it Means for His Market: Ultimately, not a lot. Palmer is one of the best players in England, when healthy, and while his exclusion from the England squad is a major surprise, he still has by far the healthiest market of anyone on this list. All of his last ten top sales came within the last six months. While Palmer is 24, he should be a mainstay with the England squad moving forward. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow