Midfielders

Another glamorous international winger is Bank of England governor Mark Carney, who finds himself in an unusual position to the left of the hardline Brexiters, but who has also gone on the attack by warning that Europe risks financial instability if it cuts off the City.

Another fast-rising star is Antonia Romeo, who was the first woman to serve as Britain’s consul general in New York but is now being rushed back to work with Liam Fox on striking overseas trade deals. Famed for cutting a dash in Manhattan in snakeskin Louboutins, her job is to prove Team GB still has international flair.

Playing on the right is Olly Robbins, the ambitious young permanent secretary at the Department for Exiting the EU. He is said to have “vigorously opposed” the appointment of fellow midfielder Tim Barrow, believing his role as the prime minister’s sherpa in European council negotiations should give him primacy. May will be hoping this is a creative tension .

Supporting the politicians in the negotiations is a clutch of ambitious civil servants whose job is to provide link up play but who may not necessarily pass well to each other . The lead interlocutor, Sir Tim Barrow, was a late addition to the squad after his predecessor, Sir Ivan Rogers, quit as the UK’s permanent EU representative in Brussels. He will need all his foreign office charm to repair relations with Whitehall.

Bettel Xavier Bettel Job Luxembourg PM

Position Defensive midfield A lawyer by training and a former TV talkshow host, Luxembourg’s prime minister has a sharp wit and a sharper tongue (“Before, the British were in and they had many opt-outs; now they want to be out, with many opt-ins”). The first European leader to marry a partner of the same sex, he is also a determined defender of principles – and a strong believer in those of the EU: “Either you’re a member, or you’re not,” he said last monthsaid.

Hübner Danuta Hübner Job MEP

Position Defensive midfield When she was Poland’s Europe minister, Danuta Hübner helped bring her country into the EU. Now head of the European parliament’s constitutional affairs committee, she looks on with regret as the UK prepares to leave. But business is business: her committee will vet a post-Brexit free-trade deal with the UK and Hübner will play a critical defensive role in ensuring the EU’s interests are protected.

Hollande François Hollande Job French president

Position Attacking midfield The embattled French president has suffered a slump in home form (and will be substituted soon after kickoff) but remains a key player in Europe, where France has been the fiercest opponent of the UK’s “have a cake and eat it” ambitions. “There must be a threat, there must be a risk, there must be a price” for Brexit, Hollande said in October. Will go in hard, perhaps dirty: France sees opportunity here.

Tusk Donald Tusk Job European council president

Position Attacking midfield A combative captain, the EU council president has long been the first name his manager puts on the team sheet: Merkel has appreciated Tusk’s often assertive leadership style since he was prime minister of Poland. He has certainly proved effective at the pre-match mind games, infuriating opponents with phrases such as “The only real alternative to a hard Brexit is no Brexit” and “Your argument has nothing to do with reality”.