Preview

Jun

2026

Preview: Germany face off with Paraguay in Round of 32

After what might be described as a slow burn during the groups, Germany are one of the first of the fancied nations to hit the knockouts – they now need to show what they’re capable of against Paraguay.

By Karl Matchett

Final tune-up and questions of Wirtz

Germany have had a fairly steady start to the tournament despite that last-game hiccup against Ecuador. But while creativity has been on show at times, they haven’t looked the full package – hit on the counter-attack an awful lot, and outfought for long stretches against Ivory Coast. Julian Nagelsmann hasn’t appeared too concerned as yet, confident his side will improve as the competition goes on, but there’s only so long you can ease your way in – and the knockout stage has a habit of punishing slack habits.

One of the more surprising repeat criticisms has gone the way of Florian Wirtz; while he certainly hasn’t dominated matches non-stop, he has been a key part of Germany’s fluid attack and created the joint-highest (8) shooting chances in the squad. Only three players have more assists at the World Cup than his two from three games, and he ranks ahead of 98% of other attacking midfielders and wingers at the tournament for touches. His involvement isn’t in question, only his decisive impact.

There’s no doubt he needs a key showing in a big game to be considered one of the overall stars, but in terms of Germany’s performers? Nagelsmann will feel there are others who need to show more if his side are to get much further than the last 16, with a potential meeting with France next in line.

Overachievement or set for a surprise?

As for Paraguay, it could be argued they’ve ticked the “job done” box by getting out of the groups. Sure, they reached the quarter-finals back in 2010 – but then failed to qualify for three successive World Cups since, so a win over Türkiye was a long-overdue return to prominence. It’s hard to argue, though, that they’ve put together much to suggest they could cause a knockout shock here.

They were trounced by the US and held by Australia – even in their win it was a hit-and-run affair, losing by 32 shots to 7, 78% possession to 22, 2.2xG to 0.3…but scoring the actual goal which mattered.

Recent form

Germany beat Finland and the US before the tournament, then racked up a 7-1 win over Curaçao to kick things off. Since then it has been two turnaround results: winning from behind late against Ivory Coast, and the reverse to lose to Ecuador. Paraguay won, lost and drew in the groups and lost to Morocco pre-tournament.

Team news

Nico Schlotterbeck is out of the World Cup with injury.

Omar Alderete is a serious doubt for Paraguay and Diego Gómez is suspended but Miguel Almirón is back from his ban.

Key player

Jamal Musiala hasn’t hit top gear yet but with a much-changed Paraguayan core, his off-ball movement will be key here. He’s completed 9 dribbles and won 25 duels so far, plus had 21 touches in the box – all top 5% for attacking midfielders at the tournament.

Prediction

Germany to push on and secure a convincing win – and raise the stakes for the last 16: Germany 3-1 Paraguay.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Argentina’s World Cup title defence continues against Jordan

Argentina have momentum to maintain in their final group match against a Jordan side who have already been eliminated from the competition.

By Ian King

FIFA’s bizarre switch from goal difference to head-to-head renders this game a dead rubber

Through to the second round of the competition with a game to spare and with Lionel Messi firing on all cylinders, Argentina have started the 2026 World Cup exactly as they would have expected, and with a favourable draw, they’re already expected to go deep in this summer’s tournament.

Their final group match carries little jeopardy. Having already beaten Austria and Algeria, FIFA’s new system of separating teams who are level on points by the head-to-head scores means that Argentina have already won the group, while the same but inverse means that Jordan are already out with a game to spare.

Jordan have a terrible record against South American opposition

These two teams have never played each other before. Jordan have only ever played six matches against South American opponents before, and their record isn’t especially stellar, with one draw and five defeats, and that single draw came in a play-off for a place at the 2014 finals in which they’d already lost the first leg 5-0 to Uruguay.

With one eye on the knockout stages, Argentina are likely to rotate their team

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi for Argentina, but their defence deserves praise as well. They’ve now kept five consecutive clean sheets in all matches, and their run of eight consecutive wins has seen them concede just once, in a friendly against Mauritania at the end of March.

It’s time, then, to give a little recognition to the other old man of their squad, Nicolás Otamendi of Benfica, who has put in two appearances for them from the bench at the ripe old age of 38. With 134 appearances for his country, this is surely his last World Cup, and there’s every chance that he’ll start this match to give either Lisandro Martínez or Cristian Romero a bit of breathing space ahead of the knock-outs.

Jordan have failed to win any of their last seven matches, but their performances at this year’s finals have been respectable, with a 3-1 defeat to Austria and a 2-1 loss to Algeria. Their captain, Mousa Taamari, leads Jordan into the World Cup as their most accomplished player. He became the first Jordanian to play in Ligue 1 when he signed for Montpellier in 2023, and had earlier success with APOEL in Cyprus, where he won a league title. He currently plays for Stade Rennais and scored for them in a 3-1 win against PSG in February.

With little at stake in this match, we can also expect Jordan to make changes

There’s been much talk of fatigue as a result of the conditions and the pressure of the ever-tightening calendar in global football, so we might expect Lionel Scaloni to make changes for this match.

Cristian Romero is one player likely to be rotated onto the bench. He limped off with a knee injury after 57 minutes of their win against Austria, and while the player himself has already moved to assure the public that his injury isn’t serious, we might expect him to sit this one out, with Nicolas Otamendi replacing him. Chasing the Golden Boot, Lionel Messi will be expected to start.

Jordan have nothing to play for beyond pride, so the question regarding their team is whether head coach Jamal Sellami will rotate to give his fringe players some World Cup experience, or whether he’ll stick with his strongest available starting XI in the hope of taking a memorable result from this match. They have no injuries or suspensions, going into this match.

The need to keep momentum should result in a comfortable Argentina win

FIFA have achieved something remarkable by switching from goal difference to head-to-head, by making both of the final games in Group J absurd, and in completely different ways.

The Algeria vs Austria game is the kicker here, one in which both teams will likely qualify with a draw and in which both teams may benefit more by losing it and finishing third than by winning it. But this is little better. There wouldn’t have been much to play for under any circumstances, but it’s a complete dead rubber because of Argentina’s two wins. Good work, all involved.

Still, there’s a game here to be won and Argentina can give their fringe players a taste of that World Cup fever while resting players who could likely do with a breather as a result of the global game’s relentless schedule. With Jordan already having been eliminated, both sides could release the handbrake and play out a game for pure enjoyment.

But none of this lends credence to the possibility of Jordan taking anything from it. Argentina are in outstanding form, they have the top goalscorer in the history of the tournament in dazzling form, and they have a vested interest in keeping their winning run going. I’m going for a 3-0 Argentina win on this occasion, setting them up nicely for a run at going deep again in the knockout stage of the competition.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: England prepare for group stage finale vs. Panama

England have one foot in the next round of the World Cup, and Thomas Tuchel’s team can finish the job off against Panama.

By Ian King

England’s drab performance against Ghana means that they still have work to do in their final group match

England’s goalless draw against Ghana undid much of the confidence that had started to grow after their swashbuckling 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening match. There’s little jeopardy for them, going into their final match against Panama, but with it still possible that they could end the evening in third place in the group, there’s still something to play for in New Jersey.

At least, with being in Group L, they’ll go into their fixture knowing roughly what they need to do should they end up finding themselves in that position, unlike Scotland, who were left sweating over results elsewhere following their 3-0 defeat by Brazil on Wednesday. Defeat coupled with a Croatia win against Ghana could yet leave England finishing third in their group.

Having lost 1-0 to both Ghana and Croatia, Panama are already eliminated from this year’s competition with a game to spare, but they still have their professional pride – and the possibility of a first-ever World Cup finals win, and what would be a huge surprise – to play for, although they start this match as massive underdogs.

Panama will want to put the previous occasion they played England in the back of their minds

This is only the second time that Panama have qualified for the World Cup finals, and it’s the second time in a row that they’ve been placed in the same group as England. This came in 2018, in the second group match for both teams in Nizhny Novgorod, with England winning 6-1. Panama have now played five games in the World Cup over the 2018 and 2026 finals, and they’ve lost all five.

Harry Kane may have a point to prove following a lacklustre performance against Ghana

With two goals in England’s opening 4-2 win against Croatia, Harry Kane started the World Cup very much in the manner of a player who scored an astonishing 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich throughout 2025/26, in all competitions. But his performance against Ghana did not match the expectations on his shoulders, and he will want to get back on track against relatively modest opponents.

The highest-rated player in the Panama team in their first two matches has been Amir Murillo, who’s been playing at right-back, even though he can play a variety of different positions. Murillo has got a bit of pedigree about him. He currently plays his club football in Türkiye with Beşiktaş, but he’s also played for Marseille, Anderlecht and RBNY. This will be his 96th appearance for the Panama national team.

England have a couple of niggles which will likely result in a bit of team rotation

There will almost certainly be changes from the England team that drew with Panama. Declan Rice hasn’t been at 100% fitness for a while, and could be rested for this match, while Reece James complained about his hamstring after the match and could also miss out. Kobbie Mainoo could be drafted in to replace Rice, with Djed Spence switching sides to fill the gap left by James’ absence and Nico O’Reilly playing at left-back.

Panama have had injury issues since before the start of the tournament. Adalberto Carrasquilla has missed both of their games so far and is unlikely to appear in this match, while captain and record appearance-holder Anibal Godoy missed their opening match and made a brief cameo from the bench for a couple of minutes against Croatia, but it’s questionable, whether he’ll be brought back into the starting eleven for this match.

England may find Panama to be a very different proposition to what they were in 2018

England’s first two matches of this tournament have shown the two faces of Thomas Tuchel’s team; excellent for spells against Croatia, but still capable of being woefully stodgy, as they were against Ghana. They have momentum to rebuild following their disappointing second performance; the alternative is that the vacuum created by its surprise disappearance will be filled with familiar neuroses which could ultimately damage their hopes of progressing far in the tournament.

And the evidence of 2026 so far has been that Panama could be a far tougher nut to crack than they were in 2018. They have lost both of their matches, but both of these defeats were only by a 1-0 margin and it took Ghana until the 95th-minute before they broke the deadlock against them in their opening fixture. And while it’s true to say that they only have pride to play for, it’s equally true to mention that England really struggled against Ghana with exactly the sort of low block that Panama have employed in both of their matches so far.

But catastrophism is what the English do best and the truth remains that, on paper, England have a massively superior team to Panama, even if they rest a handful of players for this match. They should have plenty enough to get through this match, even with their mild injury concerns, so I’m going to go for a 2-0 win for England, and for all hell to break loose should they fail to win this one.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Spain and Uruguay out to wrap up progression to the Round of 32

Spain and Uruguay go head-to-head as both sides look to book their place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

By Matt Smith

There’s a chance they both advance, as they currently sit in the top two as it stands.

This is the first meeting between the two sides since 2013, when Spain secured a 2-1 victory in the Confederations Cup. Their last meeting in the World Cup came back in 1990, when a 0-0 draw was played out in Italy.

Team news

Uruguay will be out without both Ronald Araújo and Giorgian de Arrascaeta for their game against Spain this weekend. Despite that, there should be no fresh injury concerns for the South American side.

Spain are likely to be without new Liverpool signing Víctor Muñoz heading into this game, but Spain were boosted by the return of Lamine Yamal to the starting XI last time out. There should be no fresh injury concerns for Spain after everyone came through unscathed against Saudi Arabia.

Who’s going to have the ball?

Spain are certainly known for their possession-based style of play, looking to dominate the ball and break down the opposition slowly. Spain have had the joint-most possession in the tournament so far, and interestingly, opponents, Uruguay, are in third.

It will be interesting to see which side stamps its authority on the game and looks to dominate possession. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if Uruguay altered their style for this one. Despite dominating both games in the group stage so far, Uruguay have struggled, failing to beat both Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

Spain could pass Uruguay to death

Spain have also had mixed results in the tournament so far, but there is no doubt they are sticking to and implementing their style of play. Luis de la Fuente‘s side have had the joint most possession at the tournament, whilst also completing the most passes per game comfortably.

It would be silly for Uruguay not to alter how they play in order to try to get a result here. Failing to beat Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde has been a major disappointment, and they know they’re going to struggle to go toe-to-toe with Spain when it comes to possession and passing.

45 minutes of Yamal is enough

Saudi Arabia would have been disappointed to see Lamine Yamal start last time out and delighted when he was taken off at half-time. Spain are clearly managing his minutes at the moment, but 45 minutes were enough for him to make a significant impact.

No player managed more shots than Yamal, despite him coming off at half-time. He also created a chance, scored a goal and had five touches inside the opposition box. De La Fuente will likely want to give him more minutes ahead of the knockouts, and he’s going to be the danger man for Uruguay to keep an eye on.

Prediction

Spain need a victory to ensure they finish in first place, and considering they’ve not conceded a goal yet, we think they will secure the win. We’re going for a 2-0 Spain win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Norway and France meet to decide Group I

It’s a little early for two of the World Cup’s Golden Boot frontrunners to be going at each other, but Norway and France have had their fun – now to see who scores most to take Group I top spot.

By Karl Matchett

Naturally, France will be the favourites here. They have the history, the expectation, the Champions League winners and the most feared attacking line. Norway, though, have Erling Haaland.

Will he really have more chances?

Winning the World Cup itself might prove forever beyond a nation like Norway, but the Golden Boot is very definitely within the reach of a giant Nordic striker who has better than a goal a game strike rate on the international stage. Haaland, 59 strikes to his name in 52 caps, is very much seizing his chance to leave an indelible mark at a major finals. He – like opponent Kylian Mbappé and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior – has four goals in two games, one behind only Lionel Messi (obviously). And already pundits and experts are touting his potential to be one of the World Cup’s greatest-ever scorers, given time.

But Haaland will know that may not be realistic. After all, Messi has just broken that record and he’s at his sixth finals. Norway are playing their first in 28 years – there’s just no telling how often he’ll be back, let alone his form and fitness at the time. Certainly Haaland will hope to return, but he won’t be taking that for granted and even with Norway through to the last 32, he’ll want to max out every opportunity he gets on the pitch to add to his own legend and keep Norway plotting a path through North America.

Allez les rotations

We’ve all seen managers make sweeping alterations in the third group game, to keep some players fresh and have others feel involved. It would be a bit of a risk for Didier Deschamps’ coaching staff to do that here though, given France and Norway are tied on six points and with the (presumed) benefits finishing first can bring. Still, France have a stacked squad and the boss did switch up his whole left flank between games one and two. Ibrahima Konaté, N’Golo Kanté and Jean-Philippe Mateta are among those yet to feature, and even a draw will see France finish first.

The side note is Deschamps himself will be absent, following a family bereavement. Guy Stephan will be in charge.

Recent form

Two wins from two apiece at the World Cup, with Senegal and Iraq both vanquished. Norway have scored one more, but conceded two more, across the pair of fixtures played.

Team news

Full-back Julian Ryerson is the only major doubt, though Torbjørn Heggem had an issue in the last game.

William Saliba could be rested after noting he had a few niggles.

Key player

For all Haaland’s threat, Mbappé has the supply line. He’s two years older than the Norwegian but has 12 World Cup goals more. His four in this tournament have come from 12 shots, seven on target, an xG of 1.99 and through 17 touches in the box. The French captain is unstoppable at his best.

Prediction

A fearless approach from both but the greater firepower to win the game: Norway 1-2 France.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Türkiye playing for pride against group winners USA

The first dead rubber contest of the World Cup sees already-eliminated Türkiye take on the co-hosts.

By Neel Shelat

Just misses no hits

Türkiye’s tally of 62 shots was the highest after the first two rounds of the World Cup — no other team even managed 50 — yet they drew a blank in both games. A big reason behind that was the fact that the majority of their efforts came from outside the box. They also had to go through a lot of traffic for the most part, facing the staunch low blocks of Australia and Paraguay. As a result, less than a quarter of their attempts were on target, while over a third were blocked.

*Türkiye’s shot map in their last game vs. Paraguay*

Vincenzo Montella’s side undoubtedly have some top-end attacking talent with the likes of Kenan Yıldız and Arda Güler, but their issue in these two games was that they were simply far too static in the final third. Having already been eliminated from the knockouts, they could use this game as an opportunity to try something different tactically.

USMNT on a favourable path to the quarter-finals

Convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia have already assured the United States men’s national team (USMNT) of top spot in Group D, and with it, a quite inviting pathway in the initial knockout rounds.

Should there be a winner between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar in the Group B decider, the USMNT will face a World Cup knockout debutante in the first round. Thereafter, they are on course to Egypt or Czechia/South Africa in the Round of 16, as things stand.

Given the relatively weaker nature of this pathway, most models place the USMNT among the five likeliest teams to reach the quarter-finals, giving them just under a 50% chance. A memorable knockout run on home soil could well be in the offing for the co-hosts.

Team news

Türkiye are expected to be fully fit for this game. Yunus Akgün missed a training session earlier in the week due to some slight discomfort, but that shouldn’t keep him out if the coach wishes to call upon him.

The USMNT have a couple of injury concerns. Christian Pulisic sat out the win over Australia after picking up a calf issue in the opener. Though he has returned to training, he is unlikely to be risked in this game. Cristian Roldan’s status is also uncertain due to a muscle strain. With nothing to play for in this match, Mauricio Pochettino may well rotate the side and should certainly look to protect the players at risk of a yellow card suspension, namely Chris Richards, Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson and Folarin Balogun.

Prediction

The second-choice options in the USMNT squad will likely be motivated to show what they’re capable of, so they could make it three wins out of three in the group stage against a dispirited Türkiye.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Goalless Ecuador face free-flowing Germany

The Group E leaders meet Ecuador in the final round of the group stage at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

By Filip Mishov

The toothless Ecuadorians must cause an upset to avoid an early exit

La Tri are one of only four national teams without a single goal scored at the World Cup after two rounds played, and Sebastián Beccacece‘s squad are under pressure to break the deadlock and deliver against the Group E leaders in the final round.

Despite recording an xG of 2.84 (from 15 shots on target) and enjoying 75% of ball possession, Ecuador failed to find a way past Curaçao’s outstanding goalkeeper, Eloy Room, and remain in third place behind Ivory Coast, in desperate need of a positive result if Moisés Caicedo & co. are to secure a place in the round of 32.

Germany, with nine goals, boast the highest-scoring squad at the tournament so far, and the 10th-ranked internationational team have already booked a ticket to the knockout phase for the first time since the 2014 World Cup – Die Mannschaft’s first objective in North America.

Furthermore, Germany are destined to finish top of the group following their stoppage-time victory against Ivory Coast, taking the pressure off Julian Nagelsmann and allowing room to rest players in this game.

Key players

Enner Valencia is nearing the end of his legendary career in La Tricolor shirt and Thursday’s clash might be the final World Cup match for Ecuador’s leading all-time goalscorer (49 goals). The 36-year-old is expected to lead the forward line once again in hope of unlocking Germany’s defence, and the captain will be extra motivated to find the back of the net in order to extend his national team’s stay in North America.

Deniz Undav is in elite company alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, as one of the most efficient players at the World Cup 2026 with the in-form striker scoring three goals and adding a couple of assists in just 56 minutes of action.

The 29-year-old came off the bench against both Curaçao and Ivory Coast and recorded a FotMob rating of 8.8 and 8.7, respectively, while being selected as the Player of the Match on the latter occasion following his match-winning brace. In spite of the coach’s public criticism ahead of the tournament, Undav is becoming too good to ignore, and a place in the starting XI seems inevitable.

Team news

Nico Schlotterbeck suffered an ankle injury against Ivory Coast and the centre-back will miss the rest of the tournament, which is a big blow to Germany’s defence. Antonio Rüdiger is set to replace him. Nadiem Amiri is among the players pushing for a start after his positive cameo off the bench, with Nagelsmann expected to reshuffle the starting line-up.

Everyone is fit and available within Beccacece’s squad and the coach must decide whether to deploy a more attacking formation with a place in the Round of 32 on the line for Ecuador.

Prediction

Even though Germany were far from impressive against the Ivory Coast, Nagelsmann’s star-studded squad managed to complete a full comeback thanks to the superior quality in squad depth (and Undav’s brilliance), and even if the coach once nicknamed ‘Baby Mourinho’ decides to rotate the squad against Ecuador, I expect another win and maybe even a repeat of their last meeting from the World Cup 2006.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Scotland clash with Brazil in final round of group fixtures

Three points against Haiti was the absolute requirement for Scotland and they achieved that – but to reach the knockout phase there’s a real chance that they’ll need to pull off a shock result against Brazil.

By Karl Matchett

Maths and maybes

Of course, it’s likely that at least one team goes through with only three points, but the problem Scotland have is that in playing their final group game relatively early, they won’t know what’s really required until much later.

Only eight of the 12 third-placed teams will progress to the round of 32, and already – with a game to play – there are four nations in third in their groups with a win on the board. Scotland are one of them but it’s more than feasible that the likes of DR Congo or Bosnia and Herzegovina move to four points by the time all the groups are done. Goal difference is very likely to come into play, so if they have to suffer defeat, Steve Clarke’s men dare not let the game get away from them.

Minus one is feasible; if it starts to reach two, three or more, they are in trouble. It’s tough to play to draw, but the Scots are organised, hard working and have incredible team spirit – but they must counter-attack when the chance is there, too.

Are Brazil really contenders?

After all, the Seleção have already shown they have a soft underbelly. They are susceptible to fast breaks, they are ponderous through the centre of the pitch and there are no shortages of players who don’t particularly relish tracking back to make up the numbers, even under Carlo Ancelotti. That said, they retain an array of attacking talent who are match-winners, and the depth to switch matters up if they’re not working. Going direct might be reductive for Brazil, but if the one-on-one speedsters don’t have their day, a poacher or two from the bench could still decide the group. Beyond that? We’ll be looking for a lot more from the team before placing them among the genuine contenders – at present they’re on course to face Netherlands or Japan and you wouldn’t feel it’s a guarantee they even triumph there.

*Brazil’s starting line up and match ratings vs. Haiti*

Recent form

Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 then lost to Morocco by the same scoreline after a first-minute goal. Brazil laboured to a draw with the Africans, then trounced Haiti without getting out of second gear.

Team news

Scott McKenna, Kieran Tierney and Aaron Hickey are injury doubts for the Scots, while Raphinha is out for Brazil – but Neymar could be fit enough to return.

Key player

Assuming Brazil dominate play, it’s Lewis Ferguson who will be key for Scotland in the holding midfield role. Across European midfielders he ranks ahead of 70% over the past year for defensive actions and 93% for aerials won – and at the World Cup so far he ranks 99% for fouls and duels won. He’ll need to keep that up.

Prediction

Brazil really haven’t impressed much…but it only takes a momentary lapse for some of these quality attackers to break through. The Scots will give them that: Scotland 1-2 Brazil.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: England meet Ghana as Three Lions target the knockout stages

England will be looking to continue their perfect start at the World Cup as they host a Ghana side who limped over the line against Panama.

By Matt Smith

Thomas Tuchel‘s side secured a 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening match after a professional second half saw them take all three points.

It took a 95th-minute winner for Ghana to defeat Panama in their opening game, putting them in second place behind England in the group.

It’s been a while since these two sides faced each other, with their last meeting coming all the way back in 2011.

Tuchel’s game-changing team talk

England manager Tuchel will be hoping that he doesn’t have to provide an influential team talk at half-time when they face Ghana, but he certainly proved he can do so if needed. England were relatively disappointing in the first half against Croatia, but they produced some of their best attacking play in recent years in the second half.

England produced a phenomenal nine shots on target, with 22 touches inside the opposition box in the second half, with a lot of those coming from the left-hand side. Tuchel made incredibly positive changes, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, and Morgan Rogers all coming off the bench.

Ghana going through tricky period

Although Ghana managed to qualify for the World Cup, there’s no doubt they’ve endured a difficult period over the last 20 years or so. Ghana currently rank 73rd in the FIFA rankings despite being 14th in 2008.

Ghana’s victory over Panama also ended a run of seven games without a win, losing six of those matches. They did manage to top their group in qualifying, but there is no doubt they had a favourable set of sides to face.

They’ll certainly have to improve on their performance against Panama if they want to beat England, and they’ll need more from the likes of Antoine Semenyo.

Kane the obvious danger man

It’s not just Harry Kane‘s finishing ability that the likes of Ghana need to worry about at the World Cup. The Bayern forward can dictate games from deep, despite being a centre-forward on paper, while also getting into the box to score goals.

Kane created two chances against Croatia while also scoring twice, having more touches in the opposition box than any other player. When you have players like Noni Madueke, Anthony Gordon, Rashford or Saka running in behind, Kane dropping into deeper areas doesn’t even limit England’s attacking play.

Ghana will have to do everything they can in order to try to keep Kane quiet, but many clubs and countries have tried and failed to tame the deadly forward.

Prediction

England should get the job done considering Ghana’s recent struggles over the last few years. We are going for a 3-1 victory to Tuchel’s side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Spain look to kickstart World Cup campaign vs. Saudi Arabia

Spain are expected to bounce back from their shock goalless draw against Cape Verde in their second group game.

By Graham Ruthven

Point to prove

While nobody has written Spain off as World Cup contenders, the European champions have a point to prove against Saudi Arabia after their insipid 0-0 draw against Cape Verde. Indeed, Luis de la Fuente will expect much better from his team.

Spain had 27 shots without scoring against Cape Verde, a joint-record number in World Cup history. The pre-tournament favourites must demonstrate a much sharper edge to make the most of their superior possession and territorial advantage in the opposition half.

Saudi Arabia could be difficult to break down if their performance against Uruguay is anything to go by. The 2034 World Cup hosts defended their penalty box well and posed a threat from set pieces in a display that was similar to how Cape Verde frustrated Spain.

At some point, Spain are expected to click into gear at this World Cup. However, they could face a similar test to the one they failed to overcome against Cape Verde. Saudi Arabia will recycle the game plan that worked so well for the Africans.

Key players

Spain need Lamine Yamal available. Without the Barcelona winger fit from the beginning, the European champions lacked a direct threat, making them much easier to play against. By the time Yamal was introduced in the second half, Cape Verde were closing up space in their low block.

In central midfield, Pedri, Rodri and Fabián Ruiz will give Spain control of the ball in the centre of the pitch while Ferran Torres could be moved into the centre forward position after starting against Cape Verde on the right wing.

Marc Cucurella gave Spain a way to get in behind down the left side while Aymeric Laporte was their dominant defensive presence at the back.

Salem Al-Dawsari could pose the biggest threat to the Spanish goal down the left side. The Al-Hilal attacker scored the winning goal for Saudi Arabia against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and is accustomed to delivering on the big stage.

Realistically, Mohammed Al Owais will need to be in top form for Saudi Arabia to take anything from their encounter with Spain. The goalkeeper made a number of big saves in the draw against Uruguay, but was also at fault for the equalising goal.

Team news

Yamal’s fitness remains a big talking point as does Nico Williams. The Athletic Club winger only came off the bench for the final few minutes of the draw against Cape Verde and is still searching for sharpness at the tournament.

Otherwise, de la Fuente has a full squad to choose from, meaning he could afford to shake up his forward line to ensure Spain have more joy in front of goal.

Similarly, Georgios Donis also has no new injury or suspension concerns. Saudi Arabia will have the license to field a full-strength team against the European champions.

Prediction

The European champions should find a way to win in Atlanta: Spain 2-0 Saudi Arabia.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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