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.