Best Champions League players not in Brazil

When the eyes of the globe become fixed on the planet's best footballers at this summer's FIFA World Cup, a handful of stellar talents will have to watch on with envy.

All manner of illustrious names never graced a World Cup: George Best, Ryan Giggs, George Weah, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Jari Litmanen to name a few. This year's tournament in Brazil will be no different. Though Zlatan Ibrahimović's assertion that "a World Cup without me is nothing to watch" might be a touch self-indulgent, the Sweden striker will certainly be one of the most notable absentees. Equally missed will be AS Monaco FC forward Radamel Falcao, who was ruled out of Colombia's campaign on Monday.

Though Falcao could be one of the major attractions in next season's UEFA Champions League, he did not feature in Europe's premier club competition this term. That got UEFA.com thinking – who are the best players from the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League who will not be involved at the World Cup?

Ignoring injured stars such as Thiago Alcântara, we compiled a makeshift XI, deployed in an attack-minded 4-3-3 formation, as detailed in the photo gallery at the top of the page.