LONDON — Portugal have to get to the Soccer World Cup next year in South Africa without Cristiano Ronaldo and France have lost Franck Ribery, as the two colourful teams face tricky play-offs today.

The final stages of European qualifying for next year’s finals kick off today with the prospect that the likes of Ronaldo, Deco, Thierry Henry, Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery and Nicolas Anelka may not make it to South Africa.

The spectre of failure also hangs over Russia’s Andrei Arshavin and Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko.

In the first legs of the play-offs, Portugal host a Bosnia-Herzegovina side trying to reach their first World Cup, while Slovenia are chasing their second appearance when they take on Russia. Greece host 2006 World Cup quarter-finalists Ukraine, while 1998 world champions and 2006 runners- up France are away against Ireland in Dublin. Ireland have not qualified for a major championship since the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan and Korea.

The second legs take place on Wednesday and then the identities of the 13 European nations heading for the December 4 World Cup draw in Cape Town will be known.

The eight teams have wound up in the lottery of the play-offs by finishing second in their qualifying groups. Already qualified are the nine group winners — Italy, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Slovakia, Denmark and Serbia.

“It’s frustrating not being able to help Portugal, even more so now that we have such a decisive game against Bosnia,” said Ronaldo, who was injured playing for Real Madrid in September and aggravated the problem in a World Cup qualifying game for Portugal against Hungary.

“If we can maintain the spirit we’ve shown, as well as our unity, humility and mutual support, our quality will see us through.”

Facing a Bosnia side that finished 11 points behind Spain in qualifying, coach Carlos Queiroz has plenty of other talent to choose from. But he has been unable to get his team to play with any consistency and has been hit by the loss of Ronaldo, the world’s most expensive star and world player of the year who has scored freely for Manchester United and Real Madrid over the past three seasons.

“This game looks like the biggest game of our lives,” Queiroz said. “Our presence at the World Cup depends on it, but it’s crucial that our players stay calm enough to look at it as just another big game.”

The same applies to France. Coach Raymond Domenech has been on the brink of dismissal since his team’s poor performance at the 2008 European Championship and admits that the pressure currently on his team is self-inflicted.

“The pressure is internal,” Domenech said.

The French go to Dublin’s Croke Park where some 80 000 Ireland fans will be roaring on players who can rise to the occasion or simply fall apart.

If players such as goalkeeper Shay Given and striker Robbie Keane are on form, an Ireland team coached by experienced Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni can surprise the French and put even more pressure on Domenech in the second leg at the Stade de France next Wednesday.

After failing to qualify for the last World Cup, Russia has improved under Dutch coach Guus Hiddink and should be too strong for Slovenia, especially in the first leg in Moscow. Hiddink has the Russians playing with both method and style, with Arshavin opening up defences and creating chances with his runs and layoffs.

Slovenia lost all three games on their World Cup debut in 2002, but have made it to the play-offs from a comparatively easy group. They will look for goals from Cologne striker Milivoje Novakovic, who has netted five times in qualifying games.