England fans of a certain vintage will have spent the past few major international men’s tournaments humming lines from a Baddiel and Skinner classic of yesteryear – but since the lyrics first emerged the winless run has doubled. Can Thomas Tuchel really end 60 years of hurt?
It would be ironic indeed were it to ultimately need a German to bring glory to England’s men once more, but there’s no question there’s the talent in this group to go the distance. First though, they have to get past Croatia.
Wing questions and sub impact
Several of Tuchel’s England line-up is probably locked in place, but there are definitely question marks over who starts in the wide areas. Bukayo Saka’s fitness and the different qualities that the two left wing options provide means Tuchel might have to chop and change, in-game as well as game-to-game, on the flanks. But either way the remit will be largely the same: provide service to Harry Kane and make runs beyond him yourself, to stretch the defence and offer an alternative through ball option.
However, that same dilemma over starters means Tuchel has real weapons off the bench to turn to, players who are either speedy outlets or shot merchants who will look to make things happen out of nothing. Add in perhaps Morgan Rogers as a No. 10 alternative and two in-form strikers in Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins – eight and 12 goals respectively since the start of April – and England really do have alternatives and the potential to ruffle feathers late in games, if the World Cup Of Draws threatens to show up in Dallas.
Predicted England starting XI
Experience counts and a double centenarian
Luka Modrić is now 40 and will still be in the lineup – for his 199th international cap, unbelievably. One more makes him a double centenarian but Croatia have three others past 100 as well, in Mateo Kovačić, Ivan Perišić and Andrej Kramarić. All are expected to play and that know-how will have to play a big part in Croatia’s progression, as they haven’t brought through too many other match-winners over the past tournament cycle or two.
Recent form
Croatia have won seven of their 10 since the start of 2025, though of those wins only Colombia could reasonably be called a tough opponent. England have won eight of their ten in the same timeframe, but drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in March.
Team news
England lost Tino Livramento from the squad on the eve of the tournament so full-backs are Reece James and Nico O’Reilly, with Djed Spence the only like-for-like alternative for both flanks. Otherwise, both have a full list.
Key player
If you’ve not yet watched Luka Vušković, getting the nod to start at centre-back here should give you an indication of how impressive he was last season. Top 99% for defensive work, top 99% for headers, but even top 78% for chances and 100% for goals compared to his positional peers i nthe Bundesliga.
Prediction
England to make a bit more of a bold start than some others have in the US and Harry Kane’s roving role to be rewarded with a goal: England 2-1 Croatia.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Argentina remain wedded to Lionel Messi, but has he got another tournament in him?
Argentina arrive in Kansas City for the opening match of their World Cup defence against Algeria in the midst of ongoing Messi fever, and the big question they’ll face this summer is whether this is a tournament too far for arguably the greatest player of the modern age.
Lionel Messi has continued to tear things up in MLS since 2022, but the question of whether this will be enough to steer them through a successive World Cup remains moot, and he turns 39 years of age in just over a week. In potentially punishingly hot conditions, there are few guarantees that he’ll be able to recreate the heroics of 2022.
And Algeria certainly aren’t a team to be taken lightly in their opening fixture. They won eight of their ten CAF qualification matches, qualifying by seven points, and have had impressive results in their 2026 friendlies, beating Guatemala 7-0 and Bolivia 4-0, drawing with Uruguay, and beating the Netherlands. In terms of this opening fixture, Argentina’s biggest enemy might just turn out to be any degree of complacency they may carry into this fixture.
Argentina have a warning from history to heed about how to start their defence of a World Cup title
The 2022 title was Argentina’s third World Cup win, and both of their previous wins were followed by warnings for this summer. Having won the tournament for the first time in 1978, they started their defence four years later by surprisingly losing 1-0 to Belgium in Barcelona.
After winning it again in 1986, they lost the opening match of the 1990 tournament to Cameroon by the same scoreline. But this doesn’t have to be a completely terrible omen for them. They lost their first match in Qatar 2022 to Saudi Arabia, and qualification from the group stages was on a knife-edge, but they went on to win that tournament, and in 2018 they were thumped by Croatia in their opening match but still got through the group stage, despite only taking one point from their first two group matches, and were only narrowly beaten by the eventual winners France in the second round.
Algeria didn’t make their World Cup debut until 1982, but when they did so, they did in style, with a 2-1 win against West Germany. After outrage caused by the match between West Germany and Austria which became known as The Disgrace of Gijon – in which Germany won 1-0, a result which sent both teams through at Algeria’s expense, which was played at walking pace and which resulted in the rules being changed so that final group games were played simultaneously – it took until 2014 for them to get through the group stages. This is the first time they’ve qualified since then.
These two teams have only met once before, in a friendly match played in Barcelona in 2007 which Argentina won 4-3, with two of Argentina’s goals that day scored by a certain Mr L Messi.
Argentina’s squad is packed with established stars, but Algeria also have a lot of experience
All attention will be focused on their captain, but Argentina have plenty of talent elsewhere. Julián Alvarez was recently subject to a €150 million transfer bid from Real Madrid that their city rivals Atlético turned down, although his form was patchy over the last couple of months of the domestic season, while another Atleti player, left-sided midfielder and winger Thiago Almada, could be a breakout star in this tournament for them.
Algeria don’t have the same broad spread of elite-level talent as Argentina, but they have more than one world class player. Captain Riyad Mahrez is now 35 and playing his club football in Saudi Arabia, but he’s made 116 appearances for his country and his form this year has been good, while Rayan Aït-Nouri has impressed for Manchester City, Ramy Bensebaini has been a solid presence for Borussia Dortmund, and vice-captain Aïssa Mandi of Lille has 119 caps and was part of their 2014 team.
Algeria have faced a goalkeeping crisis, going into this tournament
There had been question marks over whether Messi would be available for this fixture, though these seem to have been answered by him coming off the bench and scoring in their final warm-up match against Iceland.
But this hasn’t been their only injury concern. Goalkeeper Emi Martínez fractured a finger shortly before Aston Villa’s Europa League final win against Freiburg last month, though he’s understood to have now fully recovered, while left-back Nicolas Tagliafico and midfielder Nico González are also considered doubtful.
One major injury worry for Algeria involves Ramy Bensebaini, who missed a couple of their pre-tournament friendlies and is being reported to be out for this match. Mohamed Tougai of Esperance de Tunis may step in to replace him, alongside Aïssa Mandi in a flat back four.
The biggest issue Algeria have faced, though, has been behind that back four. They’ve had a goalkeeping crisis, after injuries left Melvin Mastil and Luca Zidane doubtful and Anthony Mandrea ruled out altogether. Oussama Benbot had to be called out of international retirement for a place in the squad, and may start this match. Algeria’s three goalkeepers for the tournament have just 12 international appearances between them.
Predicted Argentina starting XI
Argentina proved four years ago that success in a World Cup isn’t always determined by your opening match
For such a major footballing nation, Argentina have a surprisingly patchy record in opening World Cup finals fixtures, and Algeria are a talented team who have a lot to prove, having failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments. Lionel Messi might be the greatest player in the world, but much of their capability in this tournament may come down to whether he can still mix it at an elite level.
But Messi is clearly not the only talent at their disposal, and Argentina’s success may come down to whether players who’ve played support roles in the past can step out of his enormous shadow and make a name for themselves. Head coach Lionel Scaloni got them through it in Qatar four years ago, but no-one has successfully defended a World Cup since Brazil in 1962, so this is going to be a tough assignment for them.
With Austria and Jordan still to face in their group matches and eight of the twelve third-placed sides all set to progress to the second round, defeat in this fixture will not mark the end of the road for either team in this competition.
But I’m calling it. I’m going for the surprise result. Argentina lost their opening fixture to Saudi Arabia in 2022 and to Croatia in 2018, and this, coupled with Algeria’s need to prove a point after having failed to qualify for the previous two tournaments, hints at the possibility of one of the surprises of this group stage turning up in this match.
I’m going to stick my neck on the line and go for a 2-1 Algeria win, although as Argentina proved in Qatar, even a losing start like this will not mean the end of their involvement this summer.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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In what is regarded as this World Cup’s group of death, back-to-back World Cup finalists France will face a stern test from Senegal in the first round of fixtures.
Didier Deschamps is set to leave his post as France’s head coach when his contract expires after the World Cup, drawing the curtain on a 14-year tenure. Of course, his most notable achievement was the 2018 World Cup victory, which enabled him to join Mário Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer as the only people to win the World Cup as both player and manager.
While his tactics have been criticised for being too conservative at times, he can point to his consistently successful tournament record to prove their effectiveness. The 57-year-old former midfielder certainly won’t be short of attacking options this time around, as his squad features truckloads of attacking firepower in the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Rayan Cherki.
Maintaining the right balance in the XI will be key for France, so they will hope to see Deschamps find a successful formula once again.
Predicted France starting XI
Senegal set to stick to a tried and tested setup
Senegal, on the other hand, won’t need any experimentation to prepare their approach for the tournament. The Lions of Teranga were crowned African champions in Morocco back in January, though their title was subsequently stripped by CAF due to them leaving the field in protest of a refereeing decision at the end of normal time. Their federation has lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but regardless of how that goes, they will largely continue to field the same side in North America.
Pape Thiaw has only made a handful of changes to the squad, bringing in a couple of youngsters like Assane Diao and Bara Sapoko Ndiaye. He could field an unchanged XI if he so desired, and isn’t expected to make many changes to what was a winning formula on the pitch. Solidity in midfield will be particularly important for their chances in this match.
Team news
All players in both squads are expected to be available for selection in this match. William Saliba has reportedly been contending with a back issue over the last few weeks that has led to his training being differently managed, but he started the last friendly before the World Cup and should remain good to go.
Key Players
Mbappé’s 12 World Cup goals have him four off Miroslav Klose’s record, so the Pichichi-holder will be keen to close the gap further. Olise could well supply him after a sensational season for Bayern Munich, but perhaps the most important player for France could be Aurélien Tchouaméni, who will have a big job to do in holding down the midfield.
Senegal will need Pathé Ciss to impose his physicality in midfield. Malick Diouf will have to put in a big defensive shift at left back, though he can pose a threat going forward too. Nicolas Jackson can cause problems with his movement up top, but he will be in for a very tough challenge against the French centre-backs.
Prediction
France should have enough attacking quality to see out a 2-0 win.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The group E favourites meet the underdogs in Houston, Texas
Die Mannschaft kick off the hunt for the record-equalling fifth World Cup star on Germany‘s shirt in excellent spirit, as Julian Nagelsmann‘s star-studded squad recorded a couple of friendly victories against Finland and hosts, USA, prior to the tournament in North America, maintaining an unbeaten run that dates back to September last year.
That said, the 2014 World Cup champions have failed to progress from the group phase in each of the previous two finals, and even though the ultimate aim is to lift the illustrious trophy next month, their first goal, with significant pressure building back home, will be to reach the knockout stages.
Curaçao are the lowest-ranked (82) debutants at the 2026 World Cup, and the Blue Wave endured a tumultuous period ahead of the tournament with new coach, Fred Rutten, resigning from the national team on 11 May and Dick Advocaat returning to the helm just month after overseeing their qualifying campaign. At 78, the Dutchman will become the oldest coach in World Cup history.
The islanders have only suffered three defeats this calendar year, but finished their preparations with a dominant win (4-0) against Aruba, to raise the confidence levels before the most significant moment in Curaçao’s footballing history on Sunday.
Key players
Manuel Neuer‘s return to the national team was welcomed with both excitement and scepticism in Germany, as although Bayern München’s captain is still a high-quality goalkeeper, the 40-year-old’s fitness is questionable. The 124-cap international also ranks (6.78) behind both Oliver Baumann (6.81) and Alexander Nübel (7.33) in terms of his average FotMob match rating in the Bundesliga this season, and the pressure is on the experienced goalkeeper to silence the critics and justify Julian Nagelsmann’s faith in him.
Tahith Chong is one of the high-profile names in Curaçao’s squad alongside Riechedly Bazoer and the captain, Leandro Bacuna. The tricky winger confirmed his good form by scoring a goal in the friendly against Scotland at Hampden Park. The 26-year-old switched allegiance from the Netherlands to Curaçao just last year, but the Manchester United academy product already has three goals in six appearances for the Blue Wave, and his versatility to play off both wings is a valuable asset to Dick Advocaat’s squad.
Team news
Manuel Neuer missed the preparation matches for Germany through a calf injury, but the goalkeeper returned to first-team training and is expected to start, while everyone else is available with Assan Ouédraogo being the latest player called up to the squad after Lennart Karl suffered an injury.
Dick Advocaat boasts a full squad to pick from, and more importantly, Jürgen Locadia is back after serving a one-match suspension for his red card against Scotland with the Miami FC striker expected to lead the offensive line.
Prediction
Germany are undoubtably the favourites in Group E as well as one of the main contenders to go all the way at this World Cup, and Julian Nagelsmann’s squad should have no problems in securing a win against Curaçao, who’s fairytale journey to the tournament was inspiring. I expect a clear victory for Die Mannschaft.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The World Cup’s most iconic national team has never gone more than five iterations without lifting the golden trophy, but Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil side are not front-runners this time around and face a tough opener against Morocco.
Spain, France and England are all shorter odds to triumph than Brazil, and plenty of people have reigning champions Argentina – and Portugal – ahead of them too. That lack of top-tier favouritism is unusual for the Seleção, but underlined by finishing fifth in Conmebol qualifying – one point off second, but also ten off top spot.
Ancelotti juggles, Neymar the circus
It can be argued that the manager’s biggest task is getting buy-in from the stars on hand – Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior, primarily – to perform for the team as well as showing individual class. Carlo Ancelotti is a master at managing egos and guiding underperformers, but even so this squad is below the quality levels of previous years.
There’s one more factor which will heavily influence Brazil’s success or failure: Neymar. Unfit heading into the tournament, he’s likely to be eased in over the groups before finding his role in the side…or not. And either outcome has knock-on effects for the squad dynamic, the media treatment, the fans’ belief and Brazil’s actual quality in the final third. Ancelotti believes he can offer something – but it needs to be far more than a star name if Brazil are to end their 24-year wait for a World Cup.
Atlas Lions’ big challenge
Morocco have already proved they are not a flash-in-the-pan – they’ve lost precisely one game of any kind since the end of the delayed 2023 Afcon. The caveat there is that it would have been two, had CAF not overturned last year’s chaotic Afcon final from a Senegal win to a Morocco one – but even so, their recent international record reads fourth place at a World Cup, Round of 16 at one Afcon and reached the final at the next. That’s impressive, consistent progression in a way that previous African nations have not managed to sustain after impacting on the global stage. Morocco set a record at the last World Cup by reaching the semis – it’s a different kind of pressure to repeat the trick. One unknown remains: Mohamed Ouahbi took over as boss in March, having won the U20 World Cup last year.
Morocco are enjoying an all-time high in the FIFA rankings
Recent form
Brazil saw off Panama with ease at the end of May and beat Egypt in their final warm-up, while Morocco beat Madagascar and drew with Norway.
Team news
Brazil saw Wesley go off against Egypt and he’s out the squad, while Neymar only returned to training this week. Morocco lost key winger Abde Ezzalzouli against Norway, a massive blow, while Nayef Aguerd also failed to recover from an injury – both will miss the finals entirely.
Key player
For Brazil’s attack to shine, the midfield pair must function in both directions. Over the past year Bruno Guimarães ranks 86% for touches, 91% for chances created and 48% by defensive actions among top European-based midfielders – he’ll have to excel to set a platform for those ahead, and do an awful lot of running for his central partner.
Prediction
With easier games ahead in Group C, it’s possible neither side will go all-out for three points – an entertaining draw is in store as a result: Brazil 2-2 Morocco.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Scotland return to the World Cup finals following a 28-year break kicks off with an opening fixture against one of the tournament’s rank outsiders, Haiti.
Will it be eighth time lucky for Scotland in North America this summer?
It’s been 28 years since Scotland last played in a World Cup finals, and they return to the competition seeking to end a record of having never got through the group stage in their last seven attempts.
Their previous tries have seen them come close a couple of times, and it’s been 36 years since they won a game once there, a 2-1 win against Sweden in 1990. They qualified without the need for play-offs, but they left it late, with two dramatic stoppage-time goals edging them above Denmark with a 4-2 win and through to these finals.
Haiti are among the rank outsiders in this summer’s World Cup. They’ve only qualified once before. But like Scotland, they avoided play-offs, finishing as runners-up to Curaçao in their First Round CONCACAF group and then impressively winning their Second Round group, which also contained Honduras and Costa Rica.
Haiti’s qualifying group
Scotland will need to avoid echoes of their own past to proceed through the group stage
The concern for Scotland supporters as they head for North America will be the sheer variety of ways they’ve contrived to fail in the group stage in the past. The big echo from the past may be 1978, when one point from their opening two matches against what should have been modest opposition in the form of Peru and Iran left them with an insurmountable challenge in their final game against the Netherlands. Needing a three-goal win, they won 3-2, but failed to proceed.
Four years earlier, both Haiti and Scotland were in West Germany. Scotland were again undone by goal difference in a group which ended up with three unbeaten teams. Haiti, meanwhile, looked as though they might be on for what would have been one of the biggest shocks in the entire history of the World Cup when they took the lead in the first minute of the second half of their game against Italy. But Italy came back to win 3-1, Haiti lost their other two games, 7-0 against Poland and 4-1 against Argentina, and they haven’t been back since.
2025/26 was a difficult season for Andy Robertson
The Scotland captain Andy Robertson has now left Liverpool for Tottenham Hotspur, and his final season at Anfield was a difficult one, with the team falling short on the pitch and the personal tragedy of having lost team-mate and friend Diogo Jota in a car crash last summer. But Robertson came through it with admirable dignity, and he deserves a few weeks in the sun. He departed his former club with praise from fans for his service ringing in his ears, and he’s worked hard for this opportunity.
Robertson’s final Premier League season with Liverpool
Midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde may have had a disappointing season with Wolves, but he’s transformed Haiti since making his debut for them last year, with a particularly strong performance in their 3-0 win in Nicaragua in October. He’s one of two English-based players in their squad, alongside the Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor, who scored their goal in their last pre-tournament friendly match, a 2-1 defeat against Peru.
The other key players to look out for are goalkeeper and captain Johnny Placide of Bastia, who’s made 81 appearances for his country, and striker Duckens Nazon, who is currently playing his club football in Iran with Esteghlal. He’s Haiti’s all-time record goalscorer, with 44 goals, although he hasn’t scored a goal for club or country yet in 2026.
With goal difference potentially crucial, Scotland may need to go on the attack in this fixture
Haiti’s French head coach Sébastien Migné has, with the team unable to play matches in their home country due to an apparently perpetual security crisis, done an incredible job by getting his team here in the first place. He plays a 4-4-2 with attacking full-backs for width, which drops back to a 4-2-3-1 in defensive situations. They can be left a little short defensively at times, but have strong attacking options.
The Scotland manager Steve Clarke has an aging team, but the upside of this is that they have plenty of experience. Goal difference is always of exaggerated importance in the group stage of a World Cup, as Scotland have found to their cost before, and with their opponents’ biggest weakness being defensive and Scotland’s greatest strength being their midfield, Clarke is likely to go for a straight 4-4-2, with new Rangers striker Lawrence Shankland and Torino’s Ché Adams up front.
The Group C line up
Scotland need a positive result from this match, with tougher challenges to come
There is a definite opportunity for Scotland to build up a little confidence ahead of far trickier-looking games to come against Morocco and Brazil. Haiti have only ever qualified once before, and are among the outsiders to win the tournament.
A positive result and performance from Scotland looks pretty essential from a match they really should win, which is particularly important this time around, given that the top eight third-placed teams will also be getting through to the round of 32.
But the warnings from history are right there, staring them in the face. In 1974, 1978 and 1982, they were eliminated on goal difference after failing to run up as many goals against their group’s minnows as their opponents.
Brazil are among the favourites to win the entire competition and Morocco reached the semi-finals four years ago, so there’ll be far tougher tests to come than this, but a 3-0 win from this fixture would stand Scotland in a decent stead for the challenges ahead.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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It’s a huge occasion for Mauricio Pochettino‘s side as they look to get off to a strong start in front of expectant fans. They face a Paraguay side managed by Gustavo Alfaro, who will be playing with huge intensity and will be up for the event.
USA got the better of Paraguay when they met in a friendly back in November, but this is the first time they’ve met in the World Cup since 1930.
Recent H2H results and a World Cup flashback
Team news
There are unlikely to be too many injury concerns for either manager heading into this game, with it being the start of the tournament. You’d expect the likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams to feature from the start. Tim Ream could become the oldest player to appear for the US at a World Cup.
Crystal Palace centre back Chris Richards took the unusual step of declaring himself fit in the pre-match press conference!
Paraguay could be without Julio Enciso heading into this game, after he picked up an injury in a warm-up match against Nicaragua. It’s unconfirmed whether he will be fit enough to start this one after he was stretchered off.
USA testing themselves in recent months
Perhaps a purposeful schedule from the USA heading into the World Cup, Pochettino’s side have faced some tricky tests over the last few months. The USA have faced Uruguay, Belgium, Portugal, Senegal and Germany in friendlies. All strong sides competing at this tournament.
It’s a clever move from the USA to face strong European sides especially, as it’s rare that they get the opportunity to do so. Although results were certainly mixed, it was a real opportunity for them to test themselves.
Paraguay held their own in qualifying
Although Paraguay finished sixth from ten in their World Cup qualification group, they certainly held their own. They lost just four times, fewer than Brazil and the same number of losses as Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay.
Although they finished sixth, they were just one point off second, and it was their defensive solidity that helped get them over the line. They might not have the same attacking flair as some of their fellow South American sides, but they’ll bring a rigid, structured system which could do well at the tournament.
Pulisic’s time to shine
It was a strong first half of the season for Pulisic in Serie A, and he finished the campaign with 12 goals and four assists from just 18 starts (none of those goals came post-Christmas). The 27-year-old showed what he can do on the international stage against Senegal late last month, setting up a goal and scoring one himself in the first half, before being substituted.
Pulisic is undoubtedly the talisman for Pochettino’s side, and if they are to have any success at the tournament, they’ll need him to perform. The former Chelsea man could be the player to watch in this game, hoping to better his three goal contributions from the previous World Cup.
Prediction
In front of a home crowd, the USA should be able to get off to a strong start. We’re going for a 2-1 victory to Pochettino’s men.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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11 years on from hosting their first football World Cup, Canada are prepared to welcome the FIFA Men’s World Cup to their shores for the very first time. Their women’s team kicked the campaign off with a last-gasp win over China back in 2015, but fans will hope for a less tense affair on this occasion.
Although Canada lost each of their matches in their previous two outings at the tournament — in Mexico ‘86 and Qatar ‘22 — they have good reason to be optimistic about their chances of advancing past the group stage this time.
American head coach Jesse Marsch has fashioned the team into a well-drilled unit with his trademark high press, and he has some star power to call on in the attack. Canada are the second-highest-ranked team in their group and won’t face Switzerland until the last matchday, so they could well seal a knockout spot in two games.
Bosnia and Herzegovina out to cause more upsets
Bosnia and Herzegovina shocked the world by defeating Italy on penalties in their World Cup qualification playoff final to seal just their second appearance at the tournament. They won’t be here just to make up the numbers, though, because they have every chance of creating history in this group.
Sergej Barbarez’s side have come away with results against the likes of the Netherlands, Austria and Wales in the last couple of years. Their defence has proven staunch on its day in the 4-4-2 formation, while they too have some potential game-winners in attack.
The Dragons have a nice mix of youthful exuberance and veteran experience in the squad, with nine players aged 23 or younger alongside the likes of Edin Džeko and Sead Kolasinac, who were both in the lineup for their nation’s World Cup debut in 2014.
Team news
Canada have been dealt a couple of significant injury blows in the lead-up to the World Cup, leaving them without attacker Marcelo Flores for certain. Defender Moïse Bombito and captain Alphonso Davies are serious doubts, while midfielder Ismaël Koné reportedly missed a recent training session due to fever.
Bosnian strikers Džeko and Haris Tabaković trained separately, with the latter being the major doubt due to a reported metatarsal fracture he picked up at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Key Players
Jonathan David is the star man up front for Canada and could have to take up greater all-round responsibilities amid their availability crisis. He will look to Tajon Buchanan for some support, while the experienced Stephen Eustáquio will be a key figure in midfield.
Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemović will need to put in a big shift at the back for the visitors. They will look to attacking starlets Esmir Bajraktarević and Kerim Alajbegović to light up the wings and test Canada’s back line.
Jonathan David’s Serie A season with Juventus
Prediction
A close contest should be expected, but Canada might have enough to come away with a 2-1 victory.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Mexico faced hosts South Africa for the 2010 World Cup opener in Johannesburg on June 11. Exactly 16 years after that day, the roles are reversed as the two sides meet again to kick off the first-ever 48-team World Cup.
Mexico are set to become the first nation to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup three times. The team made it to the quarter-finals on each of the previous two occasions, and fans will be hoping to see at least a repeat of that this time around.
El Tri had reached the knockouts of each of the last seven World Cups before 2022, so the end of that streak in Qatar was a source of great disappointment. Now on home soil, they will have various edges that can get them over the line in the group stage.
Besides the raucous backing of passionate supporters, Mexico’s home advantage includes the altitude factor. It will be particularly effective at the Estadio Azteca — the venue of the opener — which sits 2,200 metres above sea level.
Broos’ boys gunning for the knockouts
South Africa have never reached the knockout stage of the men’s World Cup, but the expanded format presents them with a decent chance.
Veteran head coach Hugo Broos has great memories in Mexico from his playing days, as he was a part of the Belgian squad that reached the semi-finals in 1986. This is his first World Cup as a coach, though, and it will also be his last; he will retire after the tournament.
In his five years with the team, Broos has shaped South Africa into a solid unit that can move the ball really nicely, but the lack of an attacking edge has always been the main challenge. Bafana Bafana will hope that their newest contingent of young forwards can help overcome that on the biggest stage.
Team news
Left-back Aubrey Modiba is a doubt for South Africa going into this game, though there are encouraging signs as he was spotted in training on Tuesday. Bafana Bafana are flexible between a back four and five, so it will be interesting to see how they shape up going into this match.
Javier Aguirre has a big call to make in midfield, where the injured Marcel Ruiz is a big miss for the tournament. At the base of it, team captain Edson Álvarez’s spot could well be under threat from Cruz Azul’s Érik Lira.
Key Players
Johan Vásquez, now established as a solid centre-back in Serie A with Genoa, will need to showcase the best of his defensive and on-ball qualities. Clinicality up front will be key to Mexico’s approach, so Saudi Pro League top-scorer Julián Quiñones and veteran forward Raúl Jiménez could get chances to become the heroes.
South Africa will look to be careful with the ball when they have it, so elegant midfielder Teboho Mokoena will be one to watch. Orlando Pirates starlet Relebohile Mofokeng could be the difference-maker going forward, while goalkeeper Ronwen Williams is capable of the spectacular with his feet and hands.
The make up of Group A
Prediction
A tense affair is to be expected. South Africa may have enough to hold on to a 1-1 draw.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup will feature three home teams for the very first time in the tournament’s history, but can any of them go on to have an unforgettable run?
Mexico are poised to become the first nation to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup three times. A festive atmosphere is to be expected at the Estadio Azteca ahead of the tournament opener between El Tri and South Africa, but it could quickly be replaced by tension in the air.
The team’s run of seven consecutive World Cup knockout appearances ended in 2022 as they were edged out by Poland in Group C. They went on to win a few more CONCACAF titles subsequently, but disappointed on the big stage again with another group stage exit in the 2024 Copa América.
Experienced head coach Javier Aguirre was brought in in the aftermath, taking charge of the national team for a third time in his storied career. He has set about shaping the side into a solid unit, making them more defensively compact and tougher to break down. This has come at the cost of some entertainment value since they don’t take a lot of risks going forward, but it does seem to be a style of play suited to tournament football – as was evidenced in their 2025 Gold Cup triumph.
Captain Edson Álvarez will have a key role to play with his leadership both off and on the field, as he very much is the tempo-setter and can drop into the back line from midfield to further dictate proceedings. An attack crying out for creativity could use the spark of Alexis Vega or even Gilberto Mora — who became the youngest-ever appearance-maker for Mexico’s men’s national team last year and is still only 17 — while the likes of Raúl Jiménez and Saudi Pro League top-scorer Julián Quiñones will be keen to finish off the chances they get.
Mexico’s Quiñones was the top scorer in the Saudi Pro League this season
Mexico are the highest-ranked team in a group that includes South Africa, South Korea and Czechia, so they should be backed to advance to the knockouts. Their pathway thereon gets a little murkier.
On paper, finishing second might produce the most favourable Round of 32 draw since that would pit them against the runners-up of a relatively weak Group B, while first could run into tricky opponents like the Ivory Coast, Ecuador or Scotland, and advancement from third would likely set up a meeting with Germany.
🇨🇦 Canada
Canada should be quite pleased with their group stage draw since they are in the aforementioned Group B, which looks to be the weakest at the tournament by many measures.
Two-time qualifiers Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Qatar, who’ve qualified for the first time as non-hosts, are teams that Jesse Marsch’s side will be considered favourites against, so they can aim for much more than their first Men’s World Cup point in their third tournament appearance. Their schedule also looks good, since those are the two sides they will be facing first.
Canada have a good chance of avoiding the heavy-hitters at the beginning of the knockout stage as long as they finish in the top two, so their campaign has a good chance of continuing into July. They will not be afraid to face any of the tournament favourites either, having developed into a very well-drilled and cohesive unit in recent years.
Their American head coach Marsch deserves credit for that, as he has come in and instilled his pressing-based style of play into the squad very well. He took the team to the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa América in his very first competitive matches in charge.
The squad has remained largely unchanged over the last two years, as have the tactics and key players. Canada have a good deal of quality on the wings and up front, including the likes of Alphonso Davies (dependent on his recovery from injury) and Jonathan David, but a lot may rest on how firmly their defence can hold up. And how well they replace Moïse Bombito, who has not been deemed fit to continue after being tested in a training game over the weekend.
🇺🇸 United States
The United States men’s national team (USMNT) have made it to the Round of 16 of each of the last three World Cups they have qualified for. Their aim for this home World Cup will be to at least keep that run going, but they will have to overcome some tricky obstacles along the way.
For one, their group is quietly challenging. Türkiye have a talented side with standout attackers who can single-handedly win a game, Australia are a tough nut to crack and will be keen to reach back-to-back Men’s World Cup knockouts for the first time, and Paraguay are no pushovers either. In fact, Group D is the only one at the tournament in which all teams are in the top 40 of FIFA’s world rankings, making it arguably the toughest to call.
Topping the group will be important to ensure a smoother knockout run, since the runner-up will likely face Egypt or Iran, who are both well-experienced and can be very tough to break down. So, the USMNT will need to bring their A game from the get-go.
How the team will shape up is not entirely clear, however. Mauricio Pochettino has experimented with both a back three and four in recent matches, though some fundamental principles such as advancing full backs and forwards that operate infield have remained consistent.
Chris Richards’ injury concerns would be a big blow to the defensive unit, but Pochettino will hope that midfielders like Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie can provide enough support. Going forward, a lot could rest on Christian Pulisic, who had a great first half of the season with Milan but dropped off drastically after the turn of the year, registering just two assists and no goals. He will need to find his best form if the USMNT are to have a satisfactory run on home soil.
(Images from IMAGO)
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