The World Cup is just three weeks away and we’ve been seeing squad announcements almost every day, with Thomas Tuchel the latest manager to confirm the 26 players he’ll be bringing on the plane for England.

But, as always, there’s been some huge omissions from the tournament as coaches try to choose the best talents available to them.

Here we take a look at five of the most notable Irish eligible players that have missed out on the chance to play on the world stage.

Liam Delap

Delap has been at the centre of the rumour mill for the past few months regarding an Ireland callup, with Heimir Hallgrimmson confirming he’s previously spoken to the Chelsea striker about joining Ireland.

His form in the Premier League has been pretty average since joining Chelsea, with just the singular goal, so it’s not a huge surprise that he won’t be lining out for the Three Lions in North America this summer.

Perhaps the 23-year-old, still without an England call-up, will be weighing up his options more than ever now, and he’s still not completely ruled out pulling on the green jersey like his father Rory did 11 times.

Paul Nebel

Julian Nagelsmann has named a very interesting German squad for the finals, and despite being a regular member of qualifying squads, defender Paul Nebel has missed out this time around.

At 23, he’s become instrumental in Mainz’s midfield, playing 30 Bundesliga games this season as they secured a tenth-place finish.

Eligible for Ireland through his Dublin-born grandmother, Nebel could well be on the move this summer and will no doubt have international ambitions, granted the Boys In Green have incredible depth in his position at the moment. One to keep an eye on, for sure. Nebel has played at every level from U15 to U21 for Germany.

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Jobe Bellingham

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While his brother Jude will be on the plane for England, Jobe will have to wait a bit longer for his first World Cup appearance after an eventful first season at Borussia Dortmund.

He’s played every level from U16 to U21 for England, but like Delap has yet to receive his first senior callup despite 32 Bundesliga appearances this campaign.

Bellingham has an Irish grandparent, and still at just 20, with Ireland struggling for depth in midfield, he would be an incredible coup should he eventually decide to switch his international allegiance.

Alex Scott

Guernsey native Scott missed the entirety of 2024/25 with injury, but has made a very impressive return for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t enough to make the final cut.

For me, the biggest exclusion from the final 26 – on form – is Bournemouth’s Alex Scott. Best tempo-setting, ball-playing English midfielder of his type I’ve seen in latter stages of this season. His reaction to being left out in March speaks volumes about his mentality, too.

— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) May 22, 2026

He’s been a consistent performer at the heart of the Cherries’ midfield as they secured their place in Europe for the first time in their history, and has consistently appeared for England at youth level from U18 to U21. His performances have seen him linked with a move to Manchester United this summer.

His grandfather is from Dublin and his father was born in Northern Ireland, and with such competition in England’s midfield, we might see his name in an Ireland squad yet. Remember, he’s still only 22.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

The oldest player on this list at 27, Dewsbury-Hall will feel hard done by to miss out on a place in the England squad, despite never playing international football at any level.

The engine room of Everton, he’s appeared 43 times this season, grabbing six assists and scoring eight goals, including a stunning long range strike in the Toffees’ win at old Trafford in November.

Heimir Hallgrimsson and Seamus Coleman have both tried to convince him into the Ireland setup, but despite ruling it out completely last October, saying he’s “focused on England“, he still remains eligible through a grandparent.

We’re not giving up on him just yet.