Our Top 50 players at Russia 2018 have been named, which means that 686 have missed out! Here are several who could make our selections look silly.
Roberto Firmino (Brazil)
Firmino's absence can be explained by his struggle to claim a regular starting spot for his country. With only one centre-forward space available in Tite's system, the Liverpool striker is set to miss out to Gabriel Jesus. Firmino's predicament highlights Brazil's depth, as the record five-time winners look to avoid relying on Neymar the way they did in 2014. A supremely intelligent forward, Firmino will be primed to make an impact from the bench and add to the 26 goals and 14 assists he has recorded in all competitions this season.
Diego Costa (Spain)
The Brazilian-born Costa switched allegiance to Spain ahead of the 2014 World Cup but saw his chances of glory dashed as the holders crashed out at the group stage. Costa had been struggling with a hamstring injury in the buildup to that tournament and will look to make up for lost time. Plenty has happened in the intervening four years, but Costa could be the answer to Spain's striker problem. His winning goal against Arsenal in the Europa League semifinal shows he still has an appetite for the big stage.
Timo Werner (Germany)
Joachim Low has a selection headache, among Werner, Mario Gomez and Nils Petersen, for Germany's centre-forward role. As the experienced option, Gomez might feel he deserves to get the nod, but his leading rival boasts an impressive record since his 2017 debut. With electrifying pace and a lethal eye for goal, Werner has taken the Bundesliga by storm over the past two years. The 22-year-old won the Golden Boot at last summer's Confederations Cup and followed up with 21 goals for RB Leipzig in all competitions.
Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland)
Shaqiri travels to Russia with a point to prove after suffering Premier League relegation. The winger had eight goals and seven assists as he tried to save Stoke, but his contribution was in vain. He will hope to show the form in Russia that previously earned him moves to Bayern Munich and Inter. Shaqiri will be central to the efforts of Switzerland; they aren't expected to go far at the World Cup, but they were the only team to beat Spain in 2010 and made it to the Round of 16 in 2014, where they lost to Argentina in extra time.
Casemiro (Brazil)
For Dunga in 1994 and Gilberto Silva in 2002, read Casemiro in 2018? Brazil's last two World Cup-winning teams were packed with attacking talent and anchored by a disciplined holding midfielder. Casemiro will fill that role after establishing himself as a vital player for Real Madrid over the past three seasons. The 26-year-old played every minute of his club's Champions League final victories in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and also has a Liga winners' medal in his trophy cabinet.
Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal)
A reported £53m target for Arsenal and Chelsea this summer, Koulibaly heads to Russia on the back of another impressive campaign for Napoli. It was his towering 90th-minute header that earned Maurizio Sarri's side a 1-0 win at Juventus in April, which briefly opened up the Serie A title race. Koulibaly must put the disappointment of missing out to the back of his mind to lead Senegal's hopes at the World Cup. With the 26-year-old a rock at the back, the 2002 quarterfinalists can be hopeful of qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Olivier Giroud (France)
France's joint top scorer in qualifying, Giroud is a valued member of Didier Deschamps' squad. It has been a difficult season for the striker, who swapped the Arsenal bench for Chelsea in January to save his World Cup hopes, but he found the net once every 140 minutes in the Premier League. Giroud's strike in a 2-0 friendly win vs. Republic of Ireland took him to 31 international goals and boosted his hopes of starting in Russia. His contribution is often overlooked, but the 31-year-old could yet have a big part to play.
Bernardo Silva (Portugal)
Silva joined Manchester City from Monaco for £43m last summer after helping to eliminate Pep Guardiola's side in the Champions League Round of 16 and, having missed Portugal's Euro 2016 triumph through injury, is set to play a key role in Russia. If he maintains the sort of form he has shown so far in 2018 -- claiming five goals and five assists in 16 starts for City -- then the 23-year-old's subtle talents could be the perfect complement to Cristiano Ronaldo's power in Portugal's attack.
Mousa Dembele (Belgium)
There are no guarantees that Dembele will start -- Roberto Martinez normally prefers Axel Witsel in central midfield -- but the 30-year-old might get the nod for Belgium's final group game against England, when his Premier League experience could be vital. Ask anyone at Spurs who the best player is and they will invariably say Dembele. At his physical peak, he is capable of dominating almost any midfield in the world; club teammates Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Eric Dier will be wary of those qualities on June 28.
Nabil Fekir (France)
It says something about the quality at the World Cup when a player tracked by Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid doesn't make the Top 50. Fekir has been on the radar of Europe's elite clubs for some time following his breakthrough at Lyon, but this season has been a standout success for the 24-year-old. After being made captain, Fekir fired 18 goals and eight assists in Ligue 1 to book Lyon's place in the Champions League. Now rated at £60m, he is the perfect playmaker to succeed the injured Dimitri Payet.