The 2026 World Cup Could Save These Players From The Second Division

The World Cup is considered the pinnacle of football. The 2026 World Cup is the biggest event, the biggest platform, and for these five players, there is no better spotlight to prove to the world that they still deserve a chance to play in the top division:

1. Michael Aebischer | Central Midfielder | 29 years-old | Swiss | Pisa

Aebischer, the oldest player on this list, faces a tricky position after being relegated from Serie A with Pisa as a loanee from Bologna; the 2026/27 season will be his first as Pisa’s permanent resident, but the club will play in Serie B, the second division of Italian football.

Aebischer is a regular in the Swiss national football team, starting almost every game and missing only four matches since 2024; known for his ability to control the middle of the pitch and his eye for deadly set-pieces, he seems too good for Serie B.

That being said, there is no club linked with Aebischer’s service at the moment. If he wants to stay in the top flight, that interest must be gathered with a solid performance in the 2026 World Cup.

2. Jonas Adjetey | Centre Back | 22 years-old | Ghana | Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg just signed Jonas Adjetey from FC Basel in January 2026. Known for his commanding presence, tactical intelligence, and technical skills above average, there was much fanfare when Wolfsburg officially announced Adjetey for less than 10 million Euros.

Sadly, that hype can’t be sustained. Only played 137 minutes of the possible 1.440, Adjetey didn’t contribute much for Wolfsburg in the 1.Bundesliga 2026/27. Especially for someone who was more expensive than Micky van de Ven (8.5 Million Euros) in 2021/22.

Adjetey’s hype died down quicker than expected. But he’s young; it would be silly to dismiss him so quickly. The 2026 World Cup would be the perfect proving ground for him to let the world know what he is really capable of.

There’s nothing wrong with a U23 player like Adjetey playing in the second division. But with a breakthrough performance throughout the tournament, he could escape that fate, and Wolfsburg could profit from him quicker than expected.

3. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde | Central Midfielder | 27 years-old | Haiti | Wolves

It would be a real challenge for Bellegarde to shine while representing Haiti in the 2026 World Cup. No one is expecting Haiti to be one of the underdogs of the tournament despite their players coming from the world’s top divisions, including Bellegarde.

The France-born midfielder was one of the standouts in Wolves’ horrendous season. He is capable of playing in any position needed, anywhere in the middle of the park, even as a winger. Before the hamstring injury tempered with his season, Bellegarde’s energy and tenacity helped the team a lot.

Aiming for instant promotion, Wolves probably still need Bellegarde’s services. But there’s no guarantee of an instant promotion. Especially in the Championship. Considering his impact on the team, Bellegrade’s playing time in the 2025-26 season is also low, accounting for only 37% of total minutes available.

Bellegarde is in his prime age, and after a memorable performance in the 2025-26 Premier League, there’s no better stage than the World Cup to prove that he is more than capable of playing in a higher and bigger stage than England’s second division.

4. Hannibal Mejbri | Central Midfielder | 23 years-old | Tunisia | Burnley

Hannibal Mejbri is probably the most well-known player on this list. The former Manchester United academy player has been around the block since he was a teenager. Made his professional debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when only 18, Hannibal looks set for a bright future ahead of him.

Years later, people seem to forget about that. Most of them have already written off Hannibal’s quality as a player. Yet he kept proving his worth time and time again. Especially in the second half of the 2025-26 season of the Premier League, where he managed to score a goal against Crystal Palace and set up three others while facing Brentford and Aston Villa.

Hannibal is still 23 years old, young for a footballer; he could still be a valuable asset for any team. According to Transfermarkt, there’s no club currently taking an interest in Hannibal. But that could easily change. After an impressive performance in the second half of the season, a good display in the World Cup should be enough to attract suitors.

5. Malick Diouf | Left Back | 21 years-old | Senegal | West Ham

Unlike any other players on this list, El Hadji Malick Diouf doesn’t really need the 2026 World Cup to attract interest from other clubs. Only signed with West Ham in the summer of 2025, Diouf was able to impress a lot of people in his first season in the Premier League.

According to The Guardian, Manchester United is seriously considering Diouf as Luke Shaw’s replacement, while committing to push their other left-back, Patrick Dorgu, to a winger position.

West Ham also seems to have realised that they won’t be able to keep Diouf in London any longer. They don’t really mind losing Diouf to any club from a higher division if the right offer comes. The 2026 World Cup would be crucial to decide the value of that ‘right offer’.

According to various sources, The Hammers -West Ham’s nickname- currently value Diouf around 35 to 45 million Euros. If Diouf shines in the 2026 World Cup, that value could increase, pushing 50 or even 60 million, considering the EFL Championship’s most expensive transfer right now is 62 million Euros when Chelsea bought Romeo Lavia from Southampton.

More than 30 players from relegated clubs in Europe’s top five leagues called for the 2026 World Cup. From those 30+ names, these five possibly need to escape the second division more than others.