Serbia, who have competed at recent World Cups (2018, 2022), failed to qualify for FIFA 2026 despite the prolific goal-scoring of Aleksandar Mitrović — one of Europe's most clinical centre-forwards. The Orlov Orlovi (White Eagles) had the firepower but struggled for collective consistency throughout the qualifying campaign, ultimately falling short of a playoff spot.
| Appearances | As Yugoslavia: multiple / Serbia: 4 |
| Best Finish | As Yugoslavia: 4th place (1962) / Serbia: group stage |
| Last Appearance | 2022 (group stage) |
| 2022 Result | Eliminated in group stage |
Aleksandar Mitrović, one of European football's most clinical headers of the ball and prolific scorers, led Serbia's attack but couldn't drive the team to qualification alone. Dušan Tadić provided creative support during his international career, while younger players are developing.
Serbia's failure to qualify for FIFA 2026 despite having Mitrović's extraordinary goal-scoring highlights a familiar collective underachievement problem — when Mitrović fires and the team defends well, Serbia can beat anyone; when either element falters, they drop points to supposedly inferior opponents. The qualifying campaign saw too many of the latter situations, with crucial draws against teams Serbia should have beaten comfortably ultimately costing them a playoff position.
Serbian fans can follow Aleksandar Mitrović (Al-Hilal, Saudi Arabia) and Dušan Vlahović (Juventus) during their club seasons as a parallel to the FIFA 2026 tournament. Group L's Croatia — with shared Balkan footballing heritage — represents the closest regional connection to Serbia's own football culture among the qualified nations.
Follow FIFA 2026 on T Sports and Sony Sports in Bangladesh. Serbian club sides with European pedigree (Red Star Belgrade, Partizan) continue through the season alongside the FIFA 2026 group stage.