Ronaldo, Messi and Bale may not make it to the 2018 cup, which means big trouble for FIFA

Argentinian ace Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale could all miss out on Russia. Argentina need to win tomorrow against Ecuador. Ronaldo’s Portugal and Bale’s Wales both look as though they will have to enter the play-offs.

Four times winners Italy also face a playoff while Holland now need a miracle to qualify second from their group.

Big players like Argentina's Lionel Messi could miss out on the next world cup “It could lose Fifa hundreds of millions of pounds” Marcel Knobil Bosses at Fifa, world football’s governing body, are fretting over a major tournament starring Iran, Costa Rica and Saudi Arabia.

Brand guru Marcel Knobil warned: “Just as films often need a big name to flourish, so it is the same for football. They have reasons to be concerned. “One cannot deny it takes stars to add value.

The lack of big names causes many penalties for a brand. It could lose Fifa hundreds of millions of pounds.” Meanwhile a police chief warned that England’s 20,000 travelling fans could face an “extreme level of violence” in Russia.

Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the National Police Chiefs’ Council football policing lead, said: “If you look back to what happened in Marseille last year there were Russian supporters intent on causing significant disorder and causing significant injury.