The World Cup will go ahead without a number of household names after coaches named their preliminary squads for the tournament starting next month in South Africa.
Ronaldinho, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Francesco Totti, some of the best footballers of their generation, were among those who have missed the cut, demonstrating that their playing careers have now peaked.
For Brazil, Ronaldinho — who was a star of the 2002 World Cup and twice voted World Footballer of the Year — will almost certainly be missing in South Africa.
The 30-year-old was included in a 30-man provisional party but was not in Dunga’s 23-man squad, and the coach made it clear the AC Milan star would only be used in case of injuries.
Leading World Cup scorer Ronaldo, who notched 15 goals in the 1998, 2002 and 2006 tournaments and was a three-time World Footballer of the Year, realised himself that at 33 his chances of making the squad were slim, while Adriano’s place has gone to Wolfsburg’s Grafite.
“We gave Adriano several chances, but there was a point at which we had to make a decision for the benefit of the group, for collective benefit,” the coach said.
Van Nistelrooy’s international career, meanwhile, appears to be over after he was not picked in the Netherlands’ 30-man preliminary squad.
The 33-year-old striker, who has scored 33 goals in 64 internationals, announced his international retirement after Euro 2008 but changed his mind after returning to full fitness since joining SV Hamburg from Real Madrid in January.
But coach Bert Van Marwijk said: “I believe that Ruud is fit but after his knee injury he does not have time to get back to his old level.
“I told him that we have followed him closely and admire his commitment and dedication to get to the World Cup.
“But he has been inactive for a very long time because of his knee problems. It was tough for him to come back to his old level.”
There was no place either for Totti in the Italy squad. The 33-year-old Roma forward had retired from the national team after helping Italy win the 2006 World Cup, but there had been speculation that he could return.
Luca Toni, Italy’s main striker in 2006 and at Euro 2008, has also been overlooked. Toni had returned on loan from Bayern Munich to Serie A side Roma to help his World Cup chances.
There was no place either for Sampdoria playmaker Antonio Cassano and Inter Milan forward Mario Balotelli.
Inter’s march into the Champions League final against Bayern Munich on May 22 also did not help Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Zanetti make Argentina’s provisional 30-man squad for this summer’s World Cup.
Along with full-back Zanetti and midfielder Cambiasso, Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago and Barcelona central defender Gabriel Milito were also omitted by Argentina coach Diego Maradona.
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema was meanwhile left out of Raymond Domenech’s France squad.
Arsenal’s Samir Nasri and former captain midfielder Patrick Vieira, who has made 107 appearances for France and was a mainstay of the 1998 World Cup winners, are also notable omissions.
Domenenech said he was “only thinking about football” in his decision not to choose Benzema, who has scored only eight goals this season after moving last summer from Olympique Lyon to Real for 35 million euros.
“Karim has talent and he will come back,” Domenech said. “He’s had a difficult season with Real and we needed players who were fresh and hungry.”
While big names will be watching from the sidelines, Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has come out of international retirement for England.
England’s Italian manager Fabio Capello also revealed he tried but failed to persuade Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes to end his international retirement, but failed.
“We tried to convince him to return but he said no, he’d prefer to stay with his family,” Capello was quoted as saying.
