Christian Pulisic, Gigi Buffon, Alexis Sanchez, Virgil Van Dijk and of course Gareth Bale, the hero of Real Madrid's latest Champions League title, all belong to the same sorry club.
You will not see those names at the 2018 World Cup because the United States, Italy, Chile, Holland and Wales failed to qualify. Their loss is our loss, especially in the case of Pulisic, the best young American player we've ever seen.
Alas, there is still plenty of star power at this year's World Cup. The month-long spectacle has arrived.
Here is a list of the top players to watch in each Group.