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A World Cup without Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry is almost unthinkable, yet defeat in their respective games Thursday morning (EST) would leave their chances of qualification hanging in the wind.

Ronaldo's is the most serious predicament, with Portugal's whole campaign limping badly.

With three games left of the qualifying program Portugal are fourth of six teams - seven points off the top spot in Group One and automatic qualification, and three points away from the runners-up spot that would almost certainly secure a play-off for a World Cup spot.

Their one hope is that two of those games are against Hungary, the side currently in second place. But with just two wins from seven games, the 2006 semi-finalists have an anxious wait ahead.

France, meanwhile, look like they will get a runners-up spot and hence a play-off, at best.

Currently second and beset by tales of unrest in the squad, they face group leaders Serbia in Belgrade knowing a French defeat would give the home team tickets to South Africa.

That would leave France watching Austria over their shoulders, an ignominious fate for the 2006 runners-up.

"If we have to go through the play-offs, we will," striker Thierry Henry said.

"If we don't finish first we'll have to make sure we finish second, even though it's sad to say. Since I've been in the French team we've often got in through the back door. Whatever happens, we have to get to South Africa."

And then there is Argentina, coached by the inimitable Diego Maradona but listing badly in the South American qualifiers.

Having been comfortably beaten by Brazil at the weekend, Maradona's charges are in the fourth and last automatic qualifying place.

They have to visit Paraguay, five points above them in third and needing just three points to qualify for the finals.

Argentina have not won on the road for two years competitively.

Should an Argentine defeat be accompanied by away wins for Ecuador, in Bolivia, and Colombia, in Uruguay, Maradona's men will drop to sixth, below even a qualifying place for the play-off against the fourth-best side from the North Americas.

Argentina breezed to a gold medal at the Olympics and have a wonderful crop of young talent. But even that might not be enough for the double World Cup winners to secure a spot in South Africa.