As the 2026 World Cup nears, some Tottenham players are still waiting to find out if they’ll be given the chance to represent their nations at the tournament.
The domestic season is finally over, and Spurs fans can finally allow themselves to breathe after a gruelling Premier League Campaign that nearly ended in catastrophic failure.
With relegation avoided on the final day, the attentions can turn to the rapidly approaching World Cup, to which a fair few Spurs players have already received their call-ups.
Some players in the Spurs squad, however, are still anxiously waiting for phone calls from their home nations, their participation in the tournament unconfirmed.
So, who are the players still waiting for their call-ups ahead of the 2026 World Cup?
Argentina – Tottenham captain Cristian Romero is a shoo-in
Argentina, the current holders of the cup, released their preliminary squad sheet on May 11th. The squad list did, of course, bear Cristian Romero’s name, even though the centre back suffered a knee injury in Spurs’ recent game against Sunderland.
According to all outward information, Romero’s injury shouldn’t bar him from participating in the World Cup, and the Argentine defender spent his last 2 months, including his controversial trip to Argentina, which resulted in Romero nearly missing Tottenham’s final game of the season, preparing for the tournament.
Romero is of course a crucial player in the Argentina team, having started in the 2022 final in Qatar. He is also one of Argentina’s captains and is likely to take over the captain’s armband from Lionel Messi after he retires, making the questions around his involvement in Argentina’s final 26-man World Cup squad seem all but a formality.
Netherlands – Micky van de Ven should start at left-back
After playing a good campaign in the 2024 Euros with his home country and reaching the semi-finals, Micky van de Ven is to make his World Cup debut after featuring in every Dutch squad during the qualifiers.
Even though for the most part van de Ven played a decidedly average season, he seems to have rediscovered his form under Roberto De Zerbi, who called him “the best left centre back in the league.”
The Netherlands are set to announce their squad on the 27th of May, and as a versatile defender playing both centre back and left back for his country, Micky van de Ven should expect to get his call-up from Ronald Koeman.
Uruguay – Rodrigo Bentancur has been key for Tottenham of late
Rodrigo Bentancur has been another international mainstay for his home country of Uruguay, featuring in their Copa America campaign as well as in their last World Cup campaign.
A thigh injury kept him out of the proceedings for a few months, but since coming back, Bentancur transformed the Spurs midfield and was instrumental in keeping Tottenham in the Premier League.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa seems quite fond of Bentancur, who’s also one of the mainstays in the team’s midfield alongside Real Madrid star Federico Valverde. Uruguay will be hoping for a good campaign on their home continent this year and Rodrigo Bentancur will likely be involved.
Senegal – Pape Matar Sarr is touch and go after AFCON
From the Spurs players still waiting for World Cup news, perhaps Pape Matar Sarr’s place in the Senegal squad is the most uncertain. Pape played a part in Senegal’s campaign during last year’s AFCON, which ended in Senegal’s victory over Morocco in the final (although their title was later stripped), but didn’t get much playing time during the tournament.
With Senegal’s squad being among the strongest in the nation’s history, spots for a place in their midfield are incredibly competitive, with Pape having to contend with the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye or Lamina Camarra.
Pape Sarr’s position within the Senegal squad was likely damaged by a disastrous domestic season with Tottenham, and the midfielder struggled for play time under all three Spurs managers this season.
Nonetheless, Pape Sarr was included in manager Pape Thiaw’s provisional 28-man squad and has a real chance to represent his nation at the World Cup.
The Tottenham players definitely going to the World Cup, and those who narrowly missed out
Djed Spence, Lucas Begvall, Kevin Danso, and Pedro Porro are all set to make their World Cup debuts in the summer after receiving their call-ups. Luka Vuskovic, after impressing during his loan spell with Hamburg, has also been named in Croatia’s final squad.
Antonin Kinsky, having played an outstanding end of the season for Spurs, was also set to be involved with the Czech Republic World Cup squad after being named in the 51-man provisional list. The young goalkeeper, however, decided to undergo a medical procedure that will rule him out of the tournament, instead prioritising a return to full fitness in the preseason for Spurs.
Others have already received the disappointing news from their selectioners, with the likes of Richarlison, Joao Palhinha, Mohammed Kudus, and Randal Kolo Muani all missing out on a chance to participate in the World Cup.
Mohammed Kudus is the latest disappointment for fans wanting to keep tabs on Spurs players during the World Cup. The Ghanaian suffered a serious injury in January, which required a recent follow-up procedure. With Kudus’ name not figuring on Ghana’s recently posted 28-man World Cup preparation squad, the chances of him playing in the tournament are incredibly slim.
The serious injuries to Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski have also ruled out any chance of their involvement.
Here is the full list of Tottenham players travelling to the World Cup with their nations:
- Lucas Bergvall
- Kevin Danso
- Pedro Porro
- Djed Spence
- Luka Vuskovic
- Likely to be joined by Romero, Van de Ven, Sarr, and Bentancur
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