I came across something which I can't explain:

Consider this bash script:

set -x
RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS="*ci-components*|*external-files*|*backend-components*|*another-component*|*cli-component*|*random-word*"
defIFS=$IFS
IFS='|'
for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
do
exclude_string+=(" --exclude ${pattern}")
echo Excluding "${pattern}"
done
IFS=$defIFS
echo Excluding in total: "${exclude_string[@]}"

Running this in this kind of environment ( output from bashbug ):
Machine: x86_64
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS: -g -O2 -flto=auto -ffat-lto-objects -flto=auto -ffat-lto-objects -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Wall
uname output: Linux kalampakas 5.15.133.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 #1 SMP Thu Oct 5 21:02:42 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 5.1
Patch Level: 16
Release Status: release

produces the following:
Syncing components to minio
+ RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS='*ci-components*|*external-files*|*dickend-components*|*backend-components*|*cli-component*|*random-word*'
+ IFS='|'
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding '*ci-components*'
Excluding ci-components
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding '*external-files*'
Excluding external-files
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding '*dickend-components*'
Excluding dickend-components
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding backend-components
Excluding backend-components
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding '*cli-component*'
Excluding cli-component
+ for pattern in $RA_DO_NOT_PACKAGE_FILEGLOBS
+ exclude_string+=("${pattern}")
+ echo Excluding '*random-word*'
Excluding random-word
+ unset IFS
+ echo Excluding in total: '*ci-components*' '*external-files*' '*dickend-components*' backend-components '*cli-component*' '*random-word*'
Excluding in total: ci-components *external-files* dickend-components backend-components cli-component *random-word*
+ mc mirror --insecure --overwrite --retry --remove --dry-run '*ci-components*' '*external-files*' '*dickend-components*' backend-components '*cli-component*' '*random-word*' temp 'minio/export-debug/CI-package/New Demo'

If I replace the `*backend-components*` string with something with the same number of characters it works as expected ( i.e. backend-components is quoted correctly and the wildcard character preserved. Replace all the non-wildcard characters with the character 'x', change the size/word to `*backend-component*` works as well. It is like the string `*backend-components*` is a special case somehow. Adding another string like this has the same result.

But when run on a Ubuntu VM with bash 5.0.17(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) it works normally ( i.e. the `*backend-components*` is quoted and the wildcards preserved ). From bashbug for the VM working example:
Machine: x86_64
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS: -g -O2 -fdebug-prefix-map=/build/bash-Smvct5/bash-5.0=. -fstack-protector-strong -Wformat -Werror=format-security -Wall -Wno-parentheses -Wno-format-security
uname output: Linux ubuntuvm 5.4.0-165-generic #182-Ubuntu SMP Mon Oct 2 19:43:28 UTC 2023 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Machine Type: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 5.0
Patch Level: 17
Release Status: release

Same for the debian bookworm installation :
bash 5.2.15(1)-release (x86_64-pc-linux-gnu) debian bookworm works
linux debian 6.1.0-13-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.55-1 (2023-09-29) x86_64 GNU/Linux

I guess this must be some WSL2 quirk but I can't for the life me find anything related in WSL2 Github.

Shopt options are identical in the working/non-working examples.