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A number of this summer's World Cup stars will be calling the Santiago Bernabéu home.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are among those set to shine in North America, with the majority of the trio's club teammates also representing their nations in the expanded 48-team competition.
However, not every Madrid squad member will be making the long trip across the Atlantic. Some will be left watching from the Spanish capital, either because their nations fell short in qualifying or because they couldn't secure a spot in their country's squad.
Here is a look at the Madrid players who won't be heading to the 2026 World Cup.
Every Real Madrid Player Not Playing at the 2026 World Cup
Andriy Lunin
Perhaps unexpectedly, Andriy Lunin is the sole member of Madrid's senior squad whose nation failed to secure a place in the tournament. Ukraine could only advance to the European playoffs, where they were eliminated by Sweden in the semifinal, losing 3–1.
Viktor Gyökeres netted a hat trick against Benfica goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin in Valencia, with Lunin absent from the Ukraine squad due to a back injury. The Madrid goalkeeper's unavailability proved decisive, and he will now spend the summer at home rather than traveling to North America.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
England secured their World Cup berth comfortably, becoming the first European side to qualify, but Trent Alexander-Arnold's inclusion in Thomas Tuchel's final squad is far from certain. The German manager named a 35-man group for the March international window, and the Madrid right back was left out altogether.
Alexander-Arnold's exclusion raised eyebrows. The former Liverpool defender still has an opportunity to win over Tuchel before the summer squad is finalized; however, based on how things stand, the Englishman looks set to miss the tournament.
Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal's career has been hampered by injury problems since his triumph with Spain at Euro 2024 and his fourth-place finish in that year's Ballon d'Or standings, and his limited playing time could see him left out of the Spain squad this summer.
The 34-year-old has not featured for La Roja since September 2025 and looks increasingly unlikely to play a significant role as the club campaign nears its end. Should he miss the cut, Carvajal will have already played his last World Cup.
Rodrygo
Rodrygo would have been part of Brazil's squad for this summer's tournament had it not been for a devastating injury. The pacey winger ruptured his ACL during Madrid's match against Getafe in early March and is not expected to return until next season, with a nine-month recovery period serving as a rough timeline for such an injury.
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti would have welcomed the chance to have his former Madrid forward available for his first tournament in charge, but fortunately still has plenty of attacking talent at his disposal. That will be little comfort to Rodrygo, however.