The newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States is set to kick off this weekend with a record $1 billion in prize money but several of football’s biggest stars will be notably absent.
Insight Media Sport Arena looks at five high-profile names who won’t be lighting up the tournament with their pace and skills in the United States of America
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Despite winning the Premier League title, Liverpool won’t be competing at the Club World Cup, this is similar to Barcelona and Napoli due to the complex qualification process.
This means Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who set a Premier League record with 29 goals and 18 assists this season, won’t feature.
After a draining campaign, the winger might not mind a summer break, he recently posted a beachside photo on Instagram.
Still, Sallah and Liverpool fans will be disappointed to miss out on the chance to see him and teammates like Virgil van Dijk potentially face PSG, who knocked them out of the Champions League.
Another notable absentee is Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz who recently sign with Liverpool.
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting talents in world football, will also miss out in this tournament
The 17-year-old winger, a Ballon d’Or contender, dazzled fans this season with his flair and creativity, drawing comparisons to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi.
With his club absent from the tournament, Yamal loses what could have been a rare opportunity to share the field with Messi, who will be representing Inter Miami.
Other notable Barcelona absentees include Raphinha, Pedri, and Robert Lewandowski.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)
Cristiano Ronaldo, now 40, will not be making an appearance in the United States despite speculation of him from FIFA President Gianni Infantino hinting at possible talks for a temporary move from Al Nassr, Ronaldo confirmed he’s staying in Saudi Arabia.
“Some teams reached out to me,” the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said last weekend. “Some offers made sense, others didn’t. You can’t catch every ball.”
His absence means fans won’t get another chapter in the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry of GOAT, where as Messi will feature for Inter Miami.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Arsenal, Champions League semi-finalists, also miss out on the Club World Cup and for England star Bukayo Saka, it’s another missed opportunity to add to his limited club trophy haul with just the 2020 FA Cup.
After a strong season where Arsenal ousted Real Madrid from Europe’s top competition but ended without silverware, the Club World Cup would have offered both glory and financial reward.
As they aim to challenge the dominance of Manchester City and Liverpool, Arsenal’s absence from this high-profile event is a setback for the team and players like Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice
Neymar (Santos)
Brazilian superstar Neymar returned to boyhood club Santos in early 2025 following an injury-plagued stint with Al-Hilal, Though now 33 and past his peak, Neymar remains a global icon and his absence is felt both on the pitch and commercially.
“Neymar is one of the top three players of my era, alongside Cristiano and Messi,” said Brazil teammate Casemiro.
With ticket sales proving challenging for the event, Neymar’s involvement could have been a major draw of attention.
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