WHILE the countdown to England’s World Cup campaign began in earnest with their thrilling defeat of Argentina, the rest of the planet caught up and clicked their stopwatches last night. As the list of the 32 nations who will participate in one of sport’s most compelling events was completed, it became apparent that the Barclays Premiership will effectively showcase the tournament between now and next summer.

With Australia qualifying for the finals for the first time since 1974 after beating Uruguay on penalties in front of 82,698 raucous supporters in Sydney, another collection of Premiership players secured their passage to Germany and the most exotic, cosmopolitan competition in football history, where Angola, Ivory Coast and Togo will rub shoulders with the usual powerhouses such as Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and Holland.

Spain, Switzerland and the Czech Republic followed Australia’s lead by winning play-offs and Trinidad & Tobago, with Dwight Yorke in their ranks, squeezed past Bahrain with a 2-1 aggregate victory to become the smallest country by population to appear in the latter stages of the World Cup. It means a debut on the global stage for the “Soca Warriors”, an injection of Caribbean romance and an unlikely spell in the spotlight for Chris Birchall, the midfield player with humble Port Vale.

Yet it is the elite English league that will be most heavily represented in Germany, where up to 80 players who have made their professional home in the Premiership could be sparring with each other. The thought of Wayne Rooney tussling with Thierry Henry, Didier Drogba, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and Hernán Crespo is enough to prompt a shiver of anticipation.

It will also be a melting-pot of history, cultures and traditions in which Trinidad and Tobago (population 1.1 million) could face Japan (127.1 million) as equals, where Angola (life expectancy at birth, 36.96 years) could confront France (79.28 years), and where Iran (national motto: “Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic”) could be paired with the United States (“In God We Trust”).

The draw for the finals is to be made in Leipzig on December 9, when England’s group opponents will be established. With a complicated seeding system yet to be determined, Sven-Göran Eriksson will be hoping to avoid the leading nations, although the 3-2 victory over Argentina has again raised expectations that the head coach is presiding over a golden generation of England players.

Eriksson will wait until the draw is finalised before deciding which sides England should face in the three friendly fixtures they are scheduled to play between now and Friday, June 9, when the World Cup officially begins. Contact has already been made with the South Africa authorities. The matches will take place on March 1, in late May and in early June.

Absent from Germany will be a number of heavy-hitters. Turkey, semi-finalists in 2002, won a vibrant match 4-2 in Istanbul last night but lost to Switzerland on away goals. Progression by the Czechs ensured that Norway will be kicking their heels, while Spain — Fernando Morientes, Xabi Alonso et al — beat Slovakia 6-2 over two legs.

Soon, clamour will have increased to screeching point. It promises to be a heady voyage. John Travolta was among the revellers who crammed into the Australia Socceroos’ dressing-room yesterday after Mark Schwarzer, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper, had made two critical penalty saves; it may be an indication of the glamour to follow.

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