HERE’S a look at who have booked their tickets for the plane to Russia (assured of a place in their World Cup squad), who are in the Departure Lounge (could make it, could miss out) and who are stuck in traffic (likely to miss out) as the race to reach the biggest show on earth heats up.

 

GERMANY

Booked tickets: Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos and Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels have emerged as Germany’s leaders since the 2014 World Cup. Those two not only are certain of a ticket but also have become the leaders of the squad. Kroos, in particular, has turned himself into Germany’s unlikely star player, and his influence on their game is invaluable.

Departure Lounge: He even went to Thailand, hoping things will improve. And they have, or so they say. Captain Manuel Neuer has not played in a football match since Bayern’s 4-0 win over FSV Mainz on September 16, 2017. A metatarsal fracture, his third in less than a year, ruled him out after that. Away from the scene for six months, the keeper will board the plane if fit enough to take part in the opening match.

Predicted preliminary 23: Neuer, ter Stegen, Ulreich, Hummels, Boateng, Kimmich, Hector, Tah, Rudiger, Max, Kroos, Ozil, Khedira, Gundogan, Can, Muller, Sane, Reus, Goretzka, Draxler, Brandt, Werner, Wagner.

 

BRAZIL

Booked tickets: Coach Tite inherited a side who were languishing in sixth place in South America’s World Cup qualifiers. Under his command, they put together a superb and stylish run of 10 wins, two draws, 30 goals scored and three conceded. It is only natural, then, that he is showing loyalty to those who turned the battle to get to Russia into a victory parade.

Fifteen players have been guaranteed a place on the plane, including attacking stars Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Phillippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino. Meanwhile, Tite is promoting intense competition for the remaining slots.

Departure Lounge: The headlines have naturally focused on Neymar and his recovery from surgery for a metatarsal fracture. But unless something goes badly wrong, he should be back and full of gas by the time the World Cup begins.

A crueller blow has been struck to Filipe Luis, in contention for the reserve left-back slot. The fractured calf bone he suffered last Thursday gives him little recovery time, and after narrowly missing out on the two previous World Cups, he seems likely to sit out this one as well.

Predicted preliminary 23: Allison, Ederson, Cassio, Daniel Alves, Danilo, Marcelo, Alex Sandro, Marquinhos, Miranda, Thiago Silva, Jemerson, Casemiro, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Renato Augusto, Fred, Phillippe Coutinho, Neymar, Willian, Douglas Costa, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, Taison.

 

SPAIN

Booked tickets: Spain coach Julen Lopetegui retains a core of World Cup 2010 winners, led by captain Sergio Ramos and vice-captain Andres Iniesta, with younger players introduced through recent years, including David De Gea, Dani Carvajal, Koke, Isco and Alvaro Morata, who should travel once he regains his form at Chelsea.

Departure Lounge: After Atletico Madrid’s Marseille-born, versatile defender Lucas Hernandez was reportedly unable to switch allegiances to Spain, Lopetegui finally gave a first call to Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso for the March friendlies against Germany and Argentina. Diego Costa has hit the ground running on his return to Atletico. Valencia forward Rodrigo Moreno is a possible late arrival, while Real Madrid starlet Marco Asensio is a certainty.

Predicted preliminary 23: De Gea, Reina, Kepa, Carvajal, Ramos, Pique, Alba, Nacho, Lucas Fernandez, Azpilicueta, Busquets, Illarramendi, Iniesta, Silva, Koke, Saul, Isco, Thiago, Lucas Vazquez, Morata, Costa, Aspas, Asensio.

 

ENGLAND

eBooked tickets: Harry Kane – assuming he gets fit in time – has inherited Wayne Rooney’s long-held status as England’s talisman, while Tottenham teammates Eric Dier and Dele Alli will be key to Gareth Southgate’s plans.

Manchester City pair Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling should feature heavily in Russia, and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is a Southgate favourite. Jack Butland is poised to be No.1 goalkeeper and will definitely make the squad.

In general, though, the number of players assured of their places is startlingly small.

Departure Lounge: The majority of Southgate’s squad remains in flux. Danny Rose, Gary Cahill and John Stones have all lost their starting spots at club level, while Joe Hart’s nightmare season for West Ham has diminished him from No.1 goalkeeper to fringe squad member.

Jack Wilshere and Adam Lallana have probably shown just enough to give Southgate something to think about, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s revival at Liverpool has put him back in the discussion. Marcus Rashford’s case remains strong – and Southgate would have been delighted to see him score a brace in Manchester United’s win over Liverpool.

Predicted preliminary 23: Butland, Pickford, Hart, Walker, Trippier, Cahill, Stones, Maguire, P. Jones, Gomez, Rose, Bertrand, Dier, Henderson, Winks, Lallana, Sterling, Lingard, Alli, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kane, Vardy, Rashford.

 

FRANCE

Booked tickets: Didier Deschamps will already have the core of his 23-man World Cup squad mentally selected, featuring the likes of captain Hugo Lloris, defenders Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti, midfielders Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi and Adrien Rabiot, as well as attackers Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud.

Departure Lounge: On the fringes of Deschamps’ World Cup plans is an interesting cluster of players, featuring Anthony Martial, Benjamin Mendy, Alexandre Lacazette, Ousmane Dembele, Kingsley Coman, Nabil Fekir and Tiemoue Bakayoko. Which players from this group make the cut could be dictated by fitness and versatility, not necessarily form.

Predicted preliminary 23: Lloris, Mandanda, Areola, Varane, Umtiti, Koscielny, Kimpembe, Sidibe, Mendy, Kurzawa, Pogba, Kante, Matuidi, Rabiot, Sissoko, Tolisso, Lemar; Griezmann, Mbappe, Giroud, Coman, Fekir, Dembele.

 

ARGENTINA

Booked tickets: Some familiar names: Lionel Messi is obviously un-droppable. Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano (in spite of his recent move to China) and Sergio Romero will also be off to Russia. Marcos Acuna, Federco Fazio and Eduardo Salvio are among the others reported to already have their squad places assured.

Departure Lounge: This is the interesting part. Willy Caballero and Agustin Marchesin are fighting it out be third goalkeeper; Nicolas Tagliafico’s fine start at Ajax, and former Independiente teammate Fabricio Bustos’ good form give both a chance of full-back spots, and Manuel Lanzini and Racing youngster Lautaro Martinez are in the running for the forward — plus Paulo Dybala, of course.

Predicted preliminary 23: Romero, Guzman, Caballero, Mercado, Rojo, Fazio, Acuna, Tagliafico, Funes Mori, Mascherano, Salvio, Biglia, Banega, Di Maria, Paredes, Lanzini, Lo Celso, Pavon, Messi, Aguero, Higuain, Lautaro Martinez, Dybala.

 

BELGIUM

Booked tickets: Everyone hopes that Kevin De Bruyne can reproduce his club form when he reaches Russia. Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens are all set for key attacking roles, while Spurs duo Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld are defensive lynchpins. Despite fitness concerns, veterans Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen are nailed to travel.

Departure Lounge: The lounge is filling up due to lack of game time and poor form. Youri Tielemans and Nacer Chadli have hardly featured this term while Leander Dendoncker has struggled in a defensive role at Anderlecht. Christian Benteke is no longer a total certainty, whereas Michy Batshuayi is looking increasingly likely to travel following his goals in the Bundesliga.

Predicted preliminary 23: Courtois, Mignolet, Casteels, Vertonghen, Alderweireld, Kompany, Vermaelen, Ciman, Kabasele, Meunier, Carrasco, Dembele, Witsel, Fellaini, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Chadli, T. Hazard, Mertens, Lukaku, Batshuayi, E. Hazard, Benteke.

 

PORTUGAL

Booked tickets: It’s definitely Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma’s last World Cup. Some say it could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s too, though his stated aim is to remain at the top of the game until he is 40, and, given his never-ending super-human achievements, who are we to argue? Bernardo Silva’s clash against Manchester City teammate David Silva in the opening match looks tasty.

Departure Lounge: Raphael Guerreiro, Jose Fonte, Joao Mario, Adrien Silva, Ruben Dias. Absolute certainties during qualification, the first four names on this list have had seasons to forget with little playing time. Fonte left West Ham for China for this very reason, but conceding a penalty in an 8-0 defeat was not an auspicious debut. Should Fonte not make it or struggle in Russia, Benfica youngster Ruben Dias will look to seize his chance.

Predicted preliminary 23: Patricio, Lopes, Beto, Soares, Pereira, Pepe, Alves, Fonte, Dias, Guerreiro, Coentrao, Carvalho, Danilo, Moutinho, Fernandes, Adrien Silva, Joao Mario, Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Quaresma, Martins, Guedes, Andre Silva.