After lost 0-1 to DR Congo, Cameroon has been eliminated from the Africa World Cup Qualifiers Play-offs, thus unable to compete in the final stage of the 2026 World Cup, resulting in several renowned players missing out this World Cup.
Following Cameroon's elimination by the Democratic Republic of Congo, several Cameroonian stars currently or formerly playing for major clubs in Europe's top five leagues will miss out on next year's World Cup. These include former Bayern Munich forward Choupo-Moting, ex-Manchester United and Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana, Napoli midfielder Anguissa, Brighton midfielder Baleba, and Manchester United forward Mbeumo. For some among them, trying to qualify for the 2026 World Cup was their final professional endeavour.
During this qualifying campaign, Cameroon suffered defeats against both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cape Verde. Notably, this also secured Cape Verde's historic first-ever qualification for the World Cup finals.