The 48 teams that have qualified for the World Cups have been announcing their squads, with England among the latest to do so.
And the headlines have already begun to be made by the players who will not be on the plane, with harry McGuire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer among them.
Foden and Palmer’s omission, even a year ago, would have been unthinkable.
But there is only room for 26 players, and neither of them have been good enough this season.
In fact, Foden has struggled ever to show the same form for England as he has done for Manchester City, and even at the Etihad, he has not been a regular starter under Pep Guardiola this season.
Meanwhile, Palmer has had a disappointing season at Chelsea, and it would not be unfair to surmise that the West London’s club run at the Club World Cup last summer may have had something to do with it. Playing that extra month when he should have been on holiday would have exhausted him mentally and physically.
Neither may get the chance again. World Cups some round only every four years, and who knows if they will still be at the same level in 2030. But elite sport is brutal, and somebody will always miss out. This time it is their turn.