An XI of unused World Cup 2026 quarter-finalists includes Arsenal pair and Liverpool signing but no Mainoo | OneFootball

Kobbie Mainoo misses out on an XI of the best players picked for the 2026 World Cup who have yet to be given a minute by the quarter-finalists.

Declan Rice doesn’t fancy Mainoo and clearly neither does Thomas Tuchel. He doesn’t even get into this team of unused players from nations still in the 2026 World Cup.

Goalkeeper: David Raya (Spain)

Despite pledging “to make it hard for the manager to decide,” Raya has been unable to shift the international needle as a Premier League champion and Champions League finalist.

While many feel Raya to be the best keeper in the world on current form, he is second-choice at best for his country.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente feels “it would be unfair if we didn’t value Unai’s quality, class, career, and professional experience,” and considering Athletic Bilbao shot-stopper Simon has just set a new World Cup record for most consecutive minutes without conceding, you can see his point.

But it is odd that while Raya excels at club level, his last competitive minutes for his nation came in November 2024.

Right-back: Zakaria El Ouahdi (Morocco)

It was suggested in some circles that El Ouahdi had been denied a US visa before the World Cup because of his father’s beard, but one can only presume that he was freed to join up with the Morocco camp by a quick chat between Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino.

As it happens, the Genk defender’s services have not yet been required by the Atlas Lions on their latest expedition through a World Cup bracket.

El Ouahdi has an Olympics bronze and U23 Africa Cup of Nations winner’s medal to his name for Morocco but as Achraf Hakimi’s understudy, three caps for the seniors is decent going.

Centre-back: Trevoh Chalobah (England)

A standby list promotion after injury forced Tino Livramento’s withdrawal, Chalobah was neither a natural nor popular replacement.

“We called Trevoh Chalobah because it frees up Jarrell Quansah to play full-back on both sides, and Djed Spence can play full-back on both sides, so it gives us full coverage in defence,” was the grand masterplan, as relayed by Thomas Tuchel.

It remains to be seen where Chalobah fits in, but if he does wangle a World Cup debut then the Dan Burn blueprint is there to be followed into national treasure status by just throwing oneself in the way of anything that moves.

Centre-half: Koni De Winter (Belgium)

Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy and Arthur Theate do not evoke quite the same sense of imperviousness as Vincent Kompany, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the Belgium defence. But De Winter nevertheless cannot find a way in.

The 24-year-old has, in fairness, only just completed his third full top-flight season and should benefit from some stability at AC Milan, who signed him for £20m as Malick Thiaw’s replacement last summer.

Milan appointing Ruben Amorim as manager might scupper those chances, unless De Winter quickly learns how to play in a back three.

Left-back: Lucas Hernandez (France)

A world champion who missed just 40 minutes of France’s successful 2018 campaign in Russia, Hernandez stands every chance of the inverse accomplishment in watching Les Bleus reign again entirely from the bench.

He will be used to a seat from the sidelines: at Euro 2021 he shared left-back or wing-back duties with Lucas Digne and, slightly more inexplicably, Adrien Rabiot, before playing just 13 minutes of the next two tournaments due to separate knee surgeries.

Brother Theo of Al-Hilal has started two games and done his bit. But Lucas, forever on the PSG periphery, has been made to wait patiently thus far.

Right-winger: Victor Munoz (Spain)

More of a natural on the left, Munoz’s versatility was one of the key traits which prompted Liverpool to trigger his £34.5m release clause this summer.

But anyone Anfield-adjacent hoping for a mere glimpse of their new signing and latest Newcastle cuckolder this summer has yet to have that desire satisfied.

That does feel like it’s entirely on Munoz, a 22-year-old deeply foolish enough to exist at the same time as Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal and even the quietly impressive Alex Baena.

Central midfielder: N’Golo Kante (France)

Didier Deschamps spoke of bestowing upon Kante “an important role” when he invited the midfielder back into the France fold to end his year in the wilderness in November.

France had grown to lean less on their talisman during Kante’s regrettable Saudi sojourn, but his eventual return to Europe with Fenerbahce helped facilitate a pre-World Cup U-turn.

That is yet to materialise in any actual game time for a player with a curious tournament record: mostly a substitute at Euro 2016; possibly their most important player at the 2018 World Cup; among the many disappointments knocked out in the last 16 at Euro 2021; injured for the 2022 World Cup; and ultimately overrun by the Spain midfield at Euro 2024.

But an injury to Aurelien Tchouameni and Manu Kone’s looming suspension could bring Kante back to the party for the quarter-final against Morocco.

Central midfielder: Warren Zaire-Emery (France)

Another option might be the phenomenal 20-year-old coming off a season in which he played the most minutes of anyone for the best club in the world.

Zaire-Emery made 54 appearances in winning five trophies for Paris Saint-Germain in 2025/26, but Didier Deschamps has his favourites and a player whose 11 caps have come in friendlies, qualifiers and the Nations League is not among them.

There are reports of ‘dismay’ and ‘bewilderment’ within the Zaire-Emery camp at the repeat of his bench role, the player himself recently describing it as “always frustrating not to play” and outlining his willingness to fill in wherever needed, including at right-back.

But history appears to be repeating itself: Zaire-Emery was an unused substitute throughout Euro 2024 and currently has as many minutes as William Prunier at the 2026 World Cup. That Manchester United move will never happen at this rate.

Central midfielder: Martin Zubimendi (Spain)

“Rodrigo is the guiding light of this team, a player with exceptional vision, which is why he is the best player in the world in his position,” said De la Fuente after the win over Portugal, “and behind him is Martin Zubimendi, who is the second-best player in the world in that position”.

It is a time-honoured tradition for Spain to produce more elite midfielders than they know what to do with. The latest victim of that absurdly skewed supply-and-demand chain is Zubimendi, the Premier League champion in his debut season who nevertheless finds himself behind mentality merchant Rodri in the international pecking order.

Zubimendi had a more hands-on role at Euro 2024, coming on at half-time for the injured Rodri to help steer Spain past England in the final. But his moment in the Americas is yet to come.

Left-winger: Alex Grimaldo (Spain)

While deployed as an attacking left-back far more often, Grimaldo’s versatility as more of an advanced option helped deliver an unbeaten Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and earn a move to Atletico Madrid.

That proclivity to go forward admittedly might not be best served under Diego Simeone, but an apprenticeship in the dark arts could add another dimension to Grimaldo’s game which could eventually push him past Marc Cucurella.