Published On 4/27/2026
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Last update: 10:52 (Mecca time)
Spanish national team fans are concerned about the condition of Lamine Gamal; The boy who carries a heavy legacy and huge expectations for the 2026 World Cup, as any possible absence of this talent does not constitute merely an artistic loss for Aroja, but rather will be a new chapter in the book of the “physical curse” that befell the emperors of the game before him.
Lamine Jamal, who broke records in the Euro and matured tactically at an early age, today represents the “new face” of world football. But this brightness is always matched by fear of the trauma scenarios that affected those who preceded him in the World Cup stadiums.
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Below is the “historic lineup” of stars who were prevented from appearing in the World Cup or left before kickoff due to injury:
1- Santiago Canizares (Spain 2002)
The most “strange” absence in World Cup history. While Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper was preparing for the World Cup in Korea and Japan, a perfume bottle fell in his bathroom and hit his foot, causing a tendon in his toe to be severed. This accidental incident opened the door for the emergence of the young (then) Iker Casillas to begin his legendary career.
2- Gary Neville (England 2002)
The England defender missed the 2002 tournament due to a foot injury – specifically a metatarsal – but the reason this time was not a bottle, but rather a goal by Ze Roberto, a Bayer Leverkusen player, in the Champions League semi-finals.
3- Dani Alves (Brazil 2018)
Alves missed the 2018 World Cup due to a knee injury he suffered in early May while playing for Paris Saint-Germain in their French Cup win over third-tier side Les Herbiers.
4- Danny Passarella (Argentina 1986)
The captain of the Argentine national team that won the World Cup in 1978, he traveled to Mexico to participate in the 1986 tournament. What happened after his arrival remains a matter of speculation.
One account says that Argentine players were advised not to consume drinking water in Mexico, but Passarella assumed the warnings did not include ice cubes in his drink, which caused him to have a severe bout of diarrhoea.
He lost 7 kilograms before returning to training in preparation for the third match in the group stage, but he immediately suffered a muscle injury in his leg. He claimed he was forced to train before he was ready; The Argentine national team doctor denied this, confirming that Passarella had increased his training load without permission.
5- Rio Ferdinand (England 2010)
Ferdinand traveled to the 2010 World Cup, but his participation in the tournament ended after the first training session in South Africa.
The England centre-back suffered a severe sprain in his knee following a collision with his teammate Emile Heskey.
6- Pep Guardiola (Spain 2002)
Spanish midfielder Jose Antonio Camacho was expected to be called up for the 2002 World Cup, before a knee injury ended his hopes.
Guardiola was injured during Brescia’s humiliating 5-0 defeat by Juventus in April 2002, ruling him out of the World Cup.
7- Marco Reus (Germany 2014)
The German midfielder missed the opportunity to win the World Cup in the 2014 tournament after suffering an ankle injury during a friendly match that ended with Germany’s 6-1 victory over Armenia, before the German team traveled to Brazil.
Royce also missed the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 after suffering an injury at Borussia Dortmund.
8- David Beckham (England 2010)
He was not lucky in the 2010 World Cup. Before participating in the World Cup in South Africa, he ruptured his Achilles tendon in March while on loan to Milan.
A metatarsal injury almost kept Beckham out of the 2002 tournament, in Japan and South Korea.
9- Sadio Mane (Senegal 2022)
The Senegal star suffered a knee injury in Bayern Munich’s penultimate match before the start of the 2022 World Cup.
He underwent surgery, and Senegal retained its star, who scored the decisive penalty kick in the penalty shootout that qualified it to Qatar, and his name was included in the team list with the hope that he will play later in the tournament. But there was no realistic hope that Mane would recover in time.
10- Romario (Brazil 1998)
The then 32-year-old, who was a star in Brazil’s 1994 title win, traveled to France in 1998 but was unable to train for the tournament due to a calf injury.
Ultimately, the decision was made to exclude him from the squad, prompting Romario to hold an emotional press conference before leaving the camp.
11- Karim Benzema (France 2022)
In 2022, Benzema was aiming to participate in the World Cup. The Ballon d’Or winner traveled to Qatar with Didier Deschamps’ team, but suffered an injury during the preparation period.
A thigh injury was diagnosed on the eve of the tournament and would require 3 weeks to heal, so Benzema withdrew.
