Major Football Stars Missing from FIFA World Cup 2026, Including the Georgian Messi

June 4, Kathmandu – Being compared to legends like Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi and carrying the nickname ‘Georgian Messi’ is a proud distinction. Such is the status of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, the Georgian winger who has drawn comparisons with some of football’s greatest players.

With a name that is challenging for many to pronounce, Kvaratskhelia has often introduced himself and jokes that the nickname “Quara” might be easier for fans and commentators to use.

Recently, Kvaratskhelia played a pivotal role in Paris Saint-Germain’s consecutive UEFA Champions League victories, showcasing his immense talent and leadership. His performance during the 2025-26 season earned him the prestigious award for the tournament’s best player.

Despite this career peak at only 25 years old, Kvaratskhelia will not feature in the FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicks off in just over a week.

Unfortunately, success in club football does not always guarantee participation in the World Cup since players must qualify with their national teams.

Though regarded as one of the most dangerous wingers in modern football, Kvaratskhelia’s national team, Georgia, failed to qualify for the World Cup 2026. This means fans worldwide will miss his magic at the grandest stage held across the USA, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 onward.

Kvaratskhelia’s significant contributions to PSG, including 10 goals and 6 assists in the 2025-26 season, underpin his status as a top player. Only Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid (15 goals) and Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (14 goals) scored more in that season.

Though he has yet to feature in a World Cup, Kvaratskhelia’s biggest international tournament to date was the UEFA Euro 2024, where Georgia was eliminated in the round of 16 by Spain.

During European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Georgia finished behind Spain and Turkey in Group E, missing out on qualification. Despite defeating Bulgaria once, Georgia lost five other matches. Kvaratskhelia scored twice, netting against Turkey in a 3-2 defeat and in a 3-0 win against Bulgaria.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s Career

Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2001, Kvaratskhelia began his youth career at Dinamo Tbilisi, proceeding to their senior team and then playing for Rustavi.

He spent some time on loan at Lokomotiv Moscow and then played for Rubin Kazan from 2019 to 2022. In 2022, he returned to Dinamo Batumi for one season before signing with Italy’s Napoli in 2022, a move that marked a turning point in his career.

At Napoli, Kvaratskhelia impressed globally with his skill, tallying 28 goals in 85 matches during his tenure until 2025, after which he transferred to PSG in January 2025.

Over the last two seasons with PSG, Kvaratskhelia has contributed to various trophies and individual honors, shining as a key player in the club’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs in the 2025-26 season.

He made his junior international debut for Georgia in 2016 with the U-17 national team, progressed through four age-group levels, and debuted for the senior national team in 2019.

To date, he has made 49 appearances for Georgia, scoring 22 goals, and was appointed the national team captain in March 2026. His rise to becoming one of Georgia’s greatest players is unmistakable.

Notably, he played a crucial role in leading Georgia to its first major international tournament, Euro 2024.

He has also won the Georgian Footballer of the Year award five times, starting from 2020 through 2025, matching the record held by Kakha Kaladze. The only deviation came in 2024 when goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili was named the best.

The Georgian Messi and Kvaradonna

Both Maradona and Messi are legendary Argentine players who have led their country to FIFA World Cup victories—Maradona in 1986 and Messi in 2022. While Ronaldo remains a global superstar, he has not yet won the World Cup.

Kvaratskhelia’s nickname, ‘Georgian Messi,’ may raise eyebrows, but it comes with strong justification.

Around the world, players showing exceptional skills are often compared to Messi with nicknames linking their country and the Argentine icon. Although Kvaratskhelia himself sees Cristiano Ronaldo as his role model.

Like Messi, Kvaratskhelia is ambidextrous on the ball with remarkable dribbling skills that leave defenders behind. However, his admiration for Ronaldo runs deep. He once wished to wear the number 7 jersey at Napoli to emulate his idol, but since North Macedonia’s Elmas was already assigned that number, he opted for 77.

Though unable to wear Ronaldo’s iconic 7, Kvaratskhelia’s dazzling performances in Napoli earned him another legendary comparison, this time linking him to Diego Maradona, resulting in the nickname ‘Kvaradona.’

Napoli’s famous ‘Partenopei’ jersey has been worn by many great players including record club scorers Dries Mertens, hometown hero Lorenzo Insigne, Marek Hamšík, and Ezequiel Lavezzi. However, none have garnered the affection in Naples like Maradona, who is revered almost as a god.

Maradona’s legacy in Napoli is profound. After his death in 2020, the club renamed its stadium in his honor. During his tenure, Maradona led Napoli to two exhilarating and unexpected Serie A titles in 1986/87 and 1989/90, and to the only UEFA Cup triumph in the club’s history in 1988/89.

Napoli fans’ comparison of Kvaratskhelia with Maradona reflects their hope that he could bring similar glory to the club, and his outstanding performances have validated the nickname.

He helped Napoli claim their first Serie A title since Maradona’s era during the 2022-23 season. Partnering with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who scored 26 goals, Kvaratskhelia contributed 12 goals.

On the nickname, in an interview, Kvaratskhelia said, ‘I definitely like this nickname. I cannot reach Maradona’s level, but I will give everything to become a great player for this club.’

Kvaratskhelia is also a strong Real Madrid fan. He had once shared that winning the Champions League with Real Madrid was his biggest dream. However, that dream came true with Paris Saint-Germain, where he now thrives.