The 2014 World Cup begins on June 12, when Brazil plays Croatia in the opening match. Reporters and editors for The Times will count down to the start of the tournament each day with a short capsule of news and interesting tidbits.

From two-thirds of the Benelux countries (Belgium and the Netherlands, but not Luxembourg) to Spain, Portugal, France and Italy in Europe; Colombia, Argentina and Chile in South America; and Ivory Coast in Africa, World Cup squads are taking shape as a sense of urgency sets in only 30 days from the start of the tournament.

Here is a quick look at some of the roster news from Tuesday:

Colombia

Radamel Falcao, the Monaco striker who has been sidelined by a knee injury since January, was included among the 30 players named by Colombia’s Argentine coach, José Peckerman. According to news media reports, doctors have given Falcao a 50-50 chance of making the 23-man final roster, which must be submitted to FIFA by June 2. Falcao scored 70 goals in two years with Atlético Madrid and 11 goals in 19 appearances in France’s Ligue 1 for his new club, before sustaining the injury. He struck for 9 goals as Colombia finished fourth in South America’s marathon qualifying round.

“Falcao is very important for us, he’s like Lionel Messi is for Argentina,” goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón told reporters last month. “We are hopeful he will recover. I think if anyone has the courage and pride to come through this injury it’s Falcao, and he’s important for us on and off the pitch.”

Colombia is in Group C with Greece, Japan and Ivory Coast.

Belgium

Coach Marc Wilmots on Tuesday named a provisional squad that includes two youngsters who have never played internationally for Belgium: Manchester United’s Adnan Januzaj and Lille’s Divock Origi. Januzaj only three weeks ago declared his intention to play for Belgium. Origi is seen as a possible replacement for the injured Christian Benteke. Origi’s family is from Kenya, but he was born in Belgium. Januzaj’s family is from Albania, and he could have played for that country, Kosovo, Serbia and even England (in a stretch).

“He is a top talent and has such exceptional qualities, he can play several positions,” Wilmots said of Januzaj. On Origi, Wilmots said: “He has great potential. He has Benteke’s profile. It is easy to target him.”

At the heart of Belgium’s squad are goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, defender Vincent Kompany, the creative Eden Hazard and Bayern Munich’s Daniel Van Buyten.

Belgium is in Group H with Russia, South Korea and Algeria.

Italy

Giuseppe Rossi may finally fulfill a dream to play for the land of his ancestors in the World Cup.

The 27-year-old striker who grew up in New Jersey but moved to Italy at age 12 to join Parma’s youth academy was named by Manager Cesare Prandelli to Italy’s 30-man pre-World Cup roster on Tuesday. Rossi, who played for Italy in the 2009 Confederations Cup but was a late cut from the team that went to South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, was leading Serie A in goals scored when he sustained another knee injury, in January.

He spent time in the United States rehabbing before returning to Italy and playing several late-season matches for Fiorentina.

Prandelli chose not to select forwards Alberto Gilardino and Pablo Osvaldo; Sunderland wing Emanuele Giaccherini; attacking midfielder Alessandro Diamanti who is headed to China; and Zenit St. Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito.

The attack includes Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, Alessio Cerci, Mattia Destro, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and Rossi. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is headed to his fifth World Cup.

Italy is in Group D with England, Costa Rica and Uruguay.

France

Shocked! Shocked!

That is probably the only word to describe the reaction of Sami Nasri (or at least his girlfriend on Twitter) to being left off France’s provisional 23-man World Cup squad on Tuesday. Nasri, fresh off winning England’s Premier League with Manchester City last week, is not even among the seven players named in reserve by Coach Didier Deschamps.

In addition, Deschamps did not select defenders Eric Abidal and Gaël Clichy, and midfielder Yoann Gourcuff.

The spark for Les Bleus will come up front from Loic Remy (Newcastle), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) and Olivier Giroud

France is in Group E with Honduras, Switzerland and Ecuador.

Spain

La Furia Roja will be attempting to win back-to-back World Cup titles for the first time since Brazil won in 1958 (Sweden) and 1962 (Chile). That would be a nice bookend to consecutive European Championship titles (2008 and 2012).

Eighteen of the 23 players from the 2010 World Cup roster were selected by Coach Vincente del Bosque among the 30-man provisional squad. Eight play in England; seven with Barcelona, four each with Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid; three in Italy; two in Germany and one apiece with Athletic Bilbao and Sevila in Spain.

If anything, de Bosque is going to be hard-pressed to designate seven players who will not be among the 23 going to Brazil.

The roster reads like an all-star team: Fernando Torres, David Villa, Álvaro Negredo, Fernando Llorente, Pedro Rodríguez, Diego Costa, Juan Mata, Cesc Fàbregas and Santi Cazorla. In goal, another bounty: Pepe Reina, the captain Iker Casillas and David de Gea.

Left out were Álvaro Arbeloa and Isco.

Spain is in Group B with the Netherlands (opening with a rematch of the 2010 final), Chile and Australia.

Portugal

Coach Paulo Bento has a luxury — being able to write in, with a pen, the name Cristiano Ronaldo on his lineup sheets.

The Real Madrid star was among the 30 players named to Portugal’s preliminary roster ahead of its opening match against Germany in Brazil.

Joining Ronaldo are his Madrid teammates Pepe and Fábio Coentrão. Also in the squad are Nani and Hélder Postiga.

Portugal is in Group D with Germany, Ghana and the United States.

The Netherlands

Coach Louis van Gaal, who is headed to Manchester United after the World Cup, according to numerous news media reports, released his preliminary 30-man roster on Tuesday. After the World Cup, van Gaal will be replaced by Guus Hiddink (through the 2016 European Championships), and Hiddink’s assistants Danny Blind and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

The team, as it now stands, includes only eight players from the squad that lost to Spain in the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. Van Gaal included two veterans in the midfield — Rafael van der Vaart and Nigel de Jong. The emotional center of the team belongs to Robin van Persie, who is racing to return to form after an injury-plagues season at Manchester United, and Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich.

The outs include goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, and defenders John Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen; while van Gaal opted to include Wesley Sneijder after a subpar season in Turkey.

Van Gaal said this week that the absence of the injured Kevin Strootman in the midfield may force him to use a formation that has five defenders, at least on paper.

The Dutch are in Group B with Spain, Chile and Australia.

Chile

Chile could be one of the big surprises in Brazil (bear in mind that no European team has ever won a World Cup title in the Western Hemisphere), but much will depend on the healing power of Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal. Vidal underwent knee surgery only last Wednesday in Italy and was granted permission to return to Chile for rehab.

On Tuesday, he was named to Chile’s 30-man provisional roster by Coach Jorge Sampaoli, who also is counting on the play of Barcelona’s Alexis Sánchez to progress beyond the group state.

Left out were midfielders David Pizarro and Humberto Suazo.

Chile is in Group B with Australia, Spain and the Netherlands.

Ivory Coast

With players sprinkled throughout some of the best leagues in Europe — England, France, Germany and Turkey — this could be the last hurrah in the World Cup for some of the best and best-known Ivorians.

Named to the squad on Tuesday was striker Didier Drogba, 36, and midfielder Yaya Touré, part of Manchester City’s Premier League winners. Drogba has been dealing with a knee injury that limited his playing time late in the season in Turkey.

“Not seeing Drogba on the field is also worrying,” Coach Sabri Lamouchi said.

Ivory Coast is in Group C with Japan, Greece and Colombia.

Argentina

An orgy of riches, there is simply no other way to put it.

Though Carlos Tevez was left out, Argentina’s provisional roster is loaded, simply loaded. From Lionel Messi to Ángel Di Maria, Pablo Zabaleta to Javier Mascherano, Sergio Agüero to Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Argentina is in Group F with Iran, Nigeria, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Source:The New York Times