Each player of this convocation of the national team has the right to be on the extended list.
The specificity of the extended lists of the national team is that, noticing new players in the team, you wonder not only why exactly they and what place they can take in the order of entering the field, but also whether they will fly out of the list when it narrows down to the final one.
12 hands in the national team goal
There are 41 players in our March team, which is too much even with two sparrings in the program. In November, 30 football players were preparing for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and not all of them flew to the matches. And, for example, the goalkeeper team of six people will definitely be reduced: what can they catch there in twelve hands? For the case, it seems, the trio of Safonov-Shunin-Pesyakov will be enough. But there are encouraging signs for the remaining three. Spartak Selikhov, for example, was called up following the results of just one match with Ural, in which he conceded two goals.
Because Maksimenko, the goalkeeper of cup matches against Lokomotiv, has played more often this year for the Red-Whites. But Selikhov was called, and the significance of this call is that the team headquarters knows him well, is confident in him and, perhaps, sees an opportunity for Alexander to press the third, or even the second number in competitive work.
It is more difficult to imagine that the final list of goalkeepers will include Dzhanaev or Pomazun. But through these players, the national team directly controls the pulse of current events in our football. After all, Pomazun not only got out from under the monumental I. V. Akinfeev, who is still unthinkable to beat in the club, but also played really great in the vigorous Ural – along with the whole team. Once upon a time, Vladimir Gabulov became the goalkeeper of the national team in a similar way, defending the national team’s gates, for example, in the great 2007 match against the English in Luzhniki. Pomazun receives an encouraging signal from the main team in time: he is seen and expected in the national team. If not now, then in the near future.
And Dzhanaev? Soslan is now at the center of unmistakable and highly complementary recommendations. Karpin himself and goalkeeping coach Vitaly Kafanov know him very well, and, apparently, excellent reviews about the work of an experienced goalkeeper from the new Sochi head coach Kurban Berdyev are becoming an innovation in 2023. They are old comrades-in-arms with Kafanov, and the appearance of Dzhanaev on the list may even be a chance for him to take the role of an adult substitute of one hundred percent reliability in the team. That is, move Anton Shunin.
Under Karpin, the national team plays four defenders, and 12 names in defense look like a group easily reduced by at least a third. But for defense, it is important not just to duplicate positions and teamwork, but also to have a strong reserve of universalism. It is given by Khlusevich, who is able to cover both flanks, and Magkeev, who knows how to play not only in defense, but also in the center of the field.
On the edge there is someone to play without Mingyan Beveev. But the fast Ural region is on the list – not only for the sake of rhyming with the all-rounder from Loko and Diveev from the army. He, like Pomazun, is clearly noted by the national team headquarters as potentially useful for the main team elements of that Ural, which in recent months simply could not be ignored, because it was the most progressive team in the league. And this is the effect of the factor that necessarily works in the formation of a healthy national team: it should serve as a “snapshot” of reality and include those who are good right now.
For this reason, there are so many young Spartak faces in the team: a team that is trying to be modern cannot do without Denisov, Prutsev and Litvinov. But without Roman Zobnin, she could. Despite the fact that the second captain of Spartak is in excellent shape, he made it clear that he was not ready to come to the national team for every challenge. And with such players, Karpin has an extremely short conversation. In a sense, there is no conversation: the coach does not persuade anyone. Even Dzyuba after the first Cherkizovsky hat-trick.
Komlichenko without Utkin and the trail of “Wings”
The national team intends to switch from a purely experimental mode of work to a combat one, but last year’s autumn tests were not in vain. It seems that a promising group of players is being established in the team, who made themselves known in 2022, and now continue to hold the club brand, despite changes in personal careers. This group is somehow connected with the Chertanovo-Samara line, which the teacher Igor Osinkin continues to thoughtfully draw.
Young midfielders Kovalenko and Pinyaev, who played together in Krylya Sovetov last year, are no longer teammates. But the talent of the child prodigy Pinyaev continues to develop at Lokomotiv under the supervision of another specialist in youth progress, Mikhail Galaktionov. And Kovalenko and, perhaps, Spartakist Ignatov are representatives of that rare class of field artists who, once found, must be protected and who, in the national team, must be helped to open up.
Finally, forward Sycheva is an example of a player who did not lose his goalscoring skills when he changed teams. Moreover, he did not leave Osinkin, but on the contrary, he came to him. The scoring striker is valued outside of a quantitative context: all five named in the extended list can remain. Although the most difficult thing to resist will be Nikolai Komlichenko. For him, of course, the thorough fame of the head coach and the unique quality of taking penalties will play. But in the national team this time he will not be able to score from Daniil Utkin’s passes.
Legionnaires from “Monaco” and “Torino” certainly give the national team the look of no longer a prototype, but a “serial” version. The head coach has already explained that both the simplification of logistics and the status of the opponent help to call them; after all, Iran is a participant in the recent World Cup. And in general, it was time for everyone to remember that Alexander and Alexei are part of our football. Prominent part. Calling them to the team right now, when both have become real leaders of their prominent clubs, is very correct.
But the most important thing is that the question “why call Golovin and Miranchuk in such circumstances” is hopelessly outdated. They no longer need to ask. The new question is: “what should Golovin and Miranchuk give to the national team under these circumstances?”
Our European midfielders have reached such a level of play and gained such experience that they should come to the new Russian national team as leaders and examples. They should not only decorate the composition of our team, but also help new talents to grow in it, who so far, for obvious reasons, have very limited international experience. Golovin and Miranchuk give this team both meaning and a sense of authenticity: seeing them next to them in training and in games, the players of the new draft will be able to clearly understand that the team, its dreams and goals are real.
Watch live broadcasts of matches of the Russian national football team on the Match TV federal channel and the thematic channels of the holding, as well as on matchtv.ru and sportbox.ru websites.
Thomas Astudillo is a sports journalist and author who writes for Sportish. He has a deep love and knowledge of sports, and is known for his engaging and informative writing on the latest sports news and events.
This summer, the 23rd FIFA World Cup finals will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico. All professional football players, without exception, dream of playing in this tournament, from stars such as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to players whose names are not well known to the public (perhaps only for now).
However, some star and very famous football players are at risk of missing the next World Cup. The reason for this is health problems…
Joshko Guardiol
Age: 23 years old Citizenship: Croatia Club: Manchester City
Joschko Guardiol, the key defender of Manchester City, who has been playing for the “citizens” since the summer of 2023, suffered a serious injury recently – in the match against Chelsea in early January 2026, which ended with a score of 1: 1. As a result of the medical examination, a fracture was detected in the fibula bone of Guardiola’s right leg. Manchester City doctors immediately announced to the technical staff and club management that they could no longer trust the Croatian player at the end of this season. Yoshko’s estimated recovery time is approximately four months. However, this is the most favorable prognosis as recovery may take five or six months.
Theoretically, if Guardiol returns from hospital towards the end of May, he will have the chance to be included in the Croatian national team at the 2026 World Cup. Of course, the centre-back will have to go abroad without training and far from the best conditions, but… Without Josko, the Croatian national team will definitely lose a lot, because by the age of 23 Guardiola had already made 46 appearances and scored 4 goals for the “checkers”.
Takumi Minamino
Age: 30 years old Citizenship: Japan Club: Monaco
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Takumi Minamino may not be a world football star, but he can certainly have such status in his native Japan. In the past, the winger had a two-and-a-half-year contract at Liverpool, but Takumi never managed to become a key figure for the Reds. As a result, Minamino has been playing in France since the summer of 2022 for Monaco, which paid a large sum of 15 million euros to the British for his transfer.
In Monaco, Minamino is constantly a key player, but on December 21 last year, in the 5th round match of the French Cup against Auxerre (2:1), the Japanese midfielder was injured, and then doctors determined that it was a rupture of the cruciate ligament in the knee. The normal recovery time in such cases is 6-9 months, effectively ending Takumi’s hopes of playing in the 2026 World Cup. It will be a real miracle if the midfielder, who played 73 times for Japan and helped the Blue Samurai defeat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly match in October, continues to take part in the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
Muhammed Salisu
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Ghana Club: Monaco
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Mohammed Salisu, Minamino’s teammate and one of the strongest players in the current Ghana national team, also risks not being able to play in the 2026 World Cup. The former football player from Southampton, for whom Monaco paid 15 million euros in August 2023, was injured in early January this year and it is very possible that he will not be able to go to the USA, Canada and Mexico as a player for the national team.
Doctors diagnosed Salisu with a cruciate ligament tear in his knee. In theory, this could mean that Muhammad will miss slightly less than he would with a rupture… But in the near future, Salis will need to undergo several additional examinations that will help determine the severity of his injury and what treatment would be more appropriate to choose. And there is a risk here that further examination will reveal that the African has more serious injuries than currently expected. Then he will definitely not be able to play in the 2026 World Cup, but so far doctors have not specified a specific time frame for recovery. It is clear that we are talking about months, not days or weeks…
Andreas Christensen
Age: 29 years old Citizenship: Denmark Club: barcelona
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The Danish national team has not yet qualified for the 2026 World Cup. In March, this team will first have to play against North Macedonia and, if successful, in the play-offs against the winner of the Czech Republic-Ireland double. However, the Danes are seen as the favorites by many, but they will definitely have to earn a ticket to the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico without key defender Andreas Christensen.
The 29-year-old Barcelona defender, who lost his role as an important figure in the Blaugranas in recent years largely due to frequent health problems, suffered a partial rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee at the end of December last year and preferred a conservative treatment method. This in theory leaves Denmark with a better chance of continuing to play at the 2026 World Cup in the summer if they manage to qualify.
Eder Militao
Age: 27 years old Citizenship: Brazil Club: Real
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On December 8, 2025, it was learned that Eder Militao, the defender of Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team, was injured. It was related to a muscle tear in his left thigh, which resulted in doctors deciding it would take around four months for the Brazilian player to fully recover. In fact, we should see Militao on the football fields at the beginning of April, two months before the start of the 2026 World Cup.
It would seem, what is the risk of Eder missing the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico? The problem is that Militao has literally become “glass” in recent years. It haunts injury after injury. Muscle injuries and cruciate ligament problems in the knee have almost become a “chronic” for the Brazilian defender; Therefore, no one has confidence in Militao’s real playing conditions and abilities to go to North America in the summer. It is worth noting that Eder played four matches for the Selecao in the 2022 World Cup; two in the group stage, 1/8 against South Korea in the final (4:1) and 1/4 against Croatia in the final (1:1, 2:4 – on penalties).
Justin Kluivert
Age: 26 years old Citizenship: Holland Club: Bournemouth
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Bournemouth and Netherlands midfielder Justin Kluivert, the son of legendary former Orange forward Patrick Kluivert, may also join the sadness of those who will miss the final part of the 2026 World Cup due to health problems. Justin had surgery on his problematic knee on January 4 and now doctors will try to get him back on his feet as soon as possible so that Kluivert can continue to be useful to both Bournemouth and the Dutch national team.
Predictions so far are that Justin will return by April. This will allow the football player to realize his dream and play in the World Cup, especially since Justin took part in six matches and made one assist. But you can think as far ahead as you want and, more importantly, how Kluivert’s recovery process will actually progress after he missed a total of two calendar months last year due to various injuries and health problems…
Levi Colwill
Age: 22 years old Citizenship: England Club: Chelsea
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Young defender Levi Colwill was seen by many observers as one of the key figures in the process of rejuvenating the England national team squad. Colwill made his debut in the “three lions” camp in October 2023 and was expected to go to the 2026 World Cup as he was the best player for his hometown Chelsea last year and is currently valued at up to 50 million euros on the Transfermarkt portal, but…
In August 2025, Levi tore his “crucifixes”, so he was away from football for a long time. Latest predictions suggest Colwill’s recovery is expected in late May or early June, making it extremely unlikely that this will contribute to the Chelsea center being recalled to the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. In the end, Thomas Tuchel in the USA, Canada and Mexico will need the most prepared football players who can finally seriously compete for the championship and are not limited to elimination at an early stage or a brave fight almost to the end, but without winning the cup. We would like to remind you that Football England was waiting for its second championship because it won its first and first in the 1966 World Cup.
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Senegalese national team Pap Tyaw left the press conference after the final of the Africa Cup of Nations against the Moroccan team (1:0) due to the booing of Moroccan journalists. Reuters reports it.
Tyaw took the Senegalese players off the pitch in protest after their goal was disallowed and a penalty was awarded against the Senegalese in second-half injury time with the score 0–0. After 15 minutes the Senegalese national team players returned to the pitch. Team goalkeeper Edouard Mendy he took the ball forcefully after a penalty from the Moroccan Brahim Diaz. Regular time ended with the score 0:0; the Senegalese won in extra time.
The Senegalese team won the Africa Cup of Nations for the second time. The Senegalese won for the first time in 2021. The Moroccan team won the tournament in 1976.
The Africa Cup of Nations is held every two years. The winner of the previous tournament was the Ivory Coast team. The next Africa Cup of Nations will take place in 2027 in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
Brazilian football club Internacional has agreed on the transfer of the Russian midfielder CSKA Rodrigo Villagra. This was reported by the International press service.
“In the next few days the athlete will arrive in Porto Alegre to undergo a medical examination and complete the necessary legal and administrative procedures,” reads the note. At the end of these phases and after successfully passing the medical examination, the player will be officially declared a member of the Club for the 2026 season and will join the professional team at the training ground under the guidance of Paulo Pezzolano.
Villagra is 24 years old and plays for CSKA since March 2025. This season, the Argentine has played 11 matches for the club in various tournaments, without scoring any goals. He previously played for Argentina’s River Plate, Talleres and Rosario.
I’m a sports enthusiast and journalist who has worked in the news industry for over 8 years. I currently work as an author at Sportish and my work focuses mainly on sports news.
