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Sadio Mane still has plenty to offer at this level and is seen as Senegal’s main attacking threat at the age of 34.

He enjoyed another decent season in the Saudi Pro League last year, netting 14 goals in a total which is a tally he’s exceeded in each of the two previous campaigns.

He scored five goals for Senegal during qualifying from an average of 1.12 shots on target per 90, and also netted twice at AFCON from 10 shots on target (1.39 per 90). 

I think he’ll get at least one opportunity to get a shot away, and is also on penalties for his nation, which can offer an extra avenue to goal if Senegal win a spot kick.

I really like Antonio Nusa, and he could be really suited to the international stage, especially in games like this where Norway are going to be trying to unlock a stubborn low block.

Nusa registered five goal contributions during qualifying across six starts, taking 21 shots across these matches (3.96 per 90). This is a really promising shot volume and shows that he won’t be afraid to take on efforts when coming in from the left-hand side, which is usually where he operates.

Nusa saw four of these attempts find the target (0.75 per 90), suggesting that he could tame his efforts a little more to stop them from being so wild. He also enjoyed a pretty decent season in the Bundesliga during the 25/26 campaign, averaging 2.70 shots per 90 and 0.88 shots on target per 90.

Merchas Doski had an average of 1.93 fouls drawn per 90 for Iraq in their World Cup qualifying matches, landing this bet in nine of his 14 starts overall. 

The 26-year-old also has a notable average of 2.13 fouls drawn per 90 minutes playing for Viktoria Plzen this season across all competitions - he is adept at drawing contact, and tends to go down easily when he feels pressure. 

Being a left back, Doski draws an excellent matchup to back him to be fouled on Tuesday. Alexander Sorloth, who primarily plays on the right wing for Norway, is averaging 1.25 fouls per 90 since the start of the World Cup qualifiers. Julian Ryerson should also find duels against Doski here, and he is averaging 1.61 fouls per 90 in that same period.

I think this is a decent price for Algeria to score just once here. I think Argentina will win the game, and understand why they are priced as favourites but at 2.1 this is a good price for an Algerian side with notable individual talent to get on the scoresheet.

Algeria had a pretty crazy build up to the tournament, with recurring issues with coach Vladimir Petkovic but they seem to have settled well in the weeks leading up to the tournament, beating both Netherlands and Bolivia to nil in their warm-up matches.

Algeria found the back of the net in four of their five matches at AFCON earlier this year, bowing out to Nigeria in the quarter-finals. They still have Riyad Mahrez, as well as real emerging talent like Ibrahim Maza and Anis Hadj Moussa who can all offer a threat to this Argentina side.

Ralf Rangick is back with Austria, two years after they impressed at the EUROs with their high energy style of play.

I’m not sure how that will translate to the conditions we’re seeing at this World Cup, particularly the humidity and altitude of some areas, but Austria certainly have enough quality to beat this Jordan side.

Austria’s games tend to be quite end to end as a result of the style that Rangnick employs. Austria scored 22 goals across their eight qualifying matches (2.75 per game), so it’s also possible that the European outfit cover this line themselves. 

I think this is a decent price for Algeria to score just once here. I think Argentina will win the game, and understand why they are priced as favourites but at 2.1 this is a good price for an Algerian side with notable individual talent to get on the scoresheet.

Algeria had a pretty crazy build up to the tournament, with recurring issues with coach Vladimir Petkovic but they seem to have settled well in the weeks leading up to the tournament, beating both Netherlands and Bolivia to nil in their warm-up matches.

Algeria found the back of the net in four of their five matches at AFCON earlier this year, bowing out to Nigeria in the quarter-finals. They still have Riyad Mahrez, as well as real emerging talent like Ibrahim Maza and Anis Hadj Moussa who can all offer a threat to this Argentina side.

This should be quite comfortable for Norway. They’ve been away from this stage for a while, but are more than capable of winning their opening game against one of the weaker nations at the tournament.

Iraq battled hard to reach the World Cup but have notably never before won a game at the tournament. They qualified by beating Bolivia in the final stage of qualifying, and there is a clear gap in quality between the sides which should be reflected in the scoreline. 

Norway obviously have Erling Haaland who could help himself to a few goals here to get us over the line. Norway netted 37 goals during qualifying (4.6 per game), winning all eight of their matches - including two convincing wins over Italy.

France have scored 2+ goals in 12 of their last 13 matches on the international stage. Didier Deschamps is blessed with attacking quality that many managers can only dream of, and this should show in this fixture despite Senegal’s progression over recent seasons.

Senegal shipped three goals to the USA in a recent warm-up game and looked shaky throughout the contest. They also failed to beat Saudi Arabia in their final warm-up match, suggesting that their preparations for the tournament have not been ideal.

That being said, France will probably have to score more than once to win this game. Senegal have a blend of experience and established talent which can certainly cause issues in moments of transition, or with the odd bit of brilliance from someone like Mane or Ndiaye.

Didier Deschamps has an abundance of world-class talent available at his disposal for this competition, and Adrien Rabiot looks set to get the nod to start alongside Aurelien Tchouameni in the midfield double pivot. This upcoming matchup against Senegal won’t be an easy one - Nicolas Jackson, Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr will all be looking to cause problems for the French on the break, which means Rabiot is likely to have plenty of defensive work to get through. 

Rabiot racked up three fouls in France’s final warm-up friendly against Northern Ireland last time out, accounting for exactly half of the total fouls committed by his side. He is willing to get stuck in to duels, which bodes well for this selection, and Rabiot picked up seven yellow cards and one red from his 33 appearances across all competitions this season at club-level.

Koulibaly is the experienced leader of this Senegal side, and his presence at the back was crucial in guiding them to the 2025 AFCON final. He was injured against Egypt in the semi-final and lasted just 23 minutes before being substituted, but that was still enough Koulibaly to land his name in the referee’s notebook with a yellow card. He was booked against Mali in the quarter-final, and Koulibaly was even shown a red card in Senegal's final group stage match against Benin. 

His disciplinary record at club level is equally as poor - Koulibaly accumulated six yellow cards and one red from 18 appearances in the Saudi Pro League for Al Hilal this season. Considering he will now face France, and be directly pitted up against Kylian Mbappe, this looks set to be an incredibly testing matchup for Koulibaly, but he is unlikely to deviate from his usual aggressive style.

Group I is one of the most competitive ones on paper, and this match between Iraq and Norway carries enormous significance for both sides given that France and Senegal occupy the other two spots. The European side are decent favourites here, with elite attacking talent like Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth, while Antonio Nusa will provide an additional dimension of pace and directness on the left wing.

Bayesh, who typically operates as a right midfielder, is likely to have a more defensive role to cope with Norway's threat, which makes this market appeal. The 26-year-old was carded in Iraq's intercontinental playoff match against Bolivia, finishing with three fouls. He had an average of 1.9 fouls per 90 at Al-Riyadh in the Saudi Pro League for the first half of the season, and 1.82 at Al-Dhafra since joining them in February, which shows how he likes to press intensely.

Rayan Ait-Nouri recorded the highest foul count of any Algeria player in their recent AFCON campaign, averaging an eye-catching 3.28 fouls per 90. Somehow that translated to just one yellow card - he even managed to escape without a caution against Burkina Faso, despite finishing the game with six infringements. 

Ait-Nouri is perhaps most comfortable when he is given the freedom to push forward - he usually struggles against high-quality wingers, so this upcoming matchup against Argentina looks set to be a tough one for him. Lionel Messi looks set to start on the right wing, and the 38-year-old is still operating at the highest level. He had an average of 2.96 fouls drawn per 90 for Argentina throughout their World Cup qualifiers. 

Ait-Nouri tends to be aggressive in his duels, but he is unlikely to get his way against Messi, which makes this price stand out.

There’s an argument to suggest that Olise is France’s main man ahead of this World Cup with the form he showed during the 25/26 season for Bayern Munich.

Olise registered an incredible 53 goal contributions across 57 appearances for Bayern Munich and comes into this World Cup priced as the favourite by many bookmakers to win the Golden Ball, with France also backed to go all the way. 

Olise averaged just shy of 2.0 shots on target per 90 for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, and found the target five times for France during qualifying across five starts (1.05 per 90). He also scored a hat-trick in his final warm-up game for France against Northern Ireland from four shots on target.

I expect Ndiaye to be a real outlet for Senegal here, which should put him in some promising situations to win fouls.

He’s enjoyed a strong season for Everton, winning 37 fouls across his 32 starts (1.20 per 90), which is a rate that I think will increase given how this game should pan out with France dominating and Senegal looking to take their chances in transition.

Ndiaye will be up against Lucas Hernandez (0.89 fouls per 90) and Desire Doue (1.59 fouls per 90) down his side of the pitch. He should be able to give Senegal some relief at times from what is expected to be consistent France pressure - he’s an excellent ball carrier, averaging 2.05 successful dribbles per 90 during qualifying for the African nation.

France could cover this line on their own, which is something they have done in 12 of their last 13 matches across all competitions - only failing to score twice in a surprise defeat to Ivory Coast in which they had 15 attempts with six finding the target.

France have also notably failed to keep any clean sheets across their last five matches, including clashes against Azerbaijan and Northern Ireland. There’s definitely an argument to suggest that France’s squad is a bit top-heavy and they will give away chances from the holes that are in the midfield and backline.

Senegal are quite an organised side, but can’t rely on keeping things low scoring here. They will have to be brave enough to take some risks in the final third themselves, as keeping a front four of Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele quiet for 90 minutes is a tough assignment.

I touched on the fact that France’s squad is a bit top-heavy, and I think that will lead to an important role for Mike Maignan in goal. He enjoyed another strong season for Milan, making 2.95 saves per 90 with a save percentage of 75.5%, and kept three clean sheets across five matches during qualifying.

Maignan wasn’t really tested in that qualifying run with France taking on the likes of Iceland, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, but Senegal certainly have options who can cause problems - particularly in moments where France have settled possession and move up the pitch, exposing them to runners in behind.

Senegal’s front three is expected to be:

Nicolas Jackson - 1.88 shots on target per 90

Sadio Mane - 1.27 shots on target per 90

Iliman Ndiaye - 0.71 shots on target per 90

You also have players like Ismaila Sarr, who can come on when the game is stretched, with the latter stages of games being ideal for his style of play and tendency to strike against better sides for the underdog.

I do think Senegal can cause France the odd issue, maybe even get on the scoresheet, but I expect the European side to come away with all three points and a few goals.

There aren’t many sides in international football blessed with the quality that France have in the final third. Deschamps has got much better at getting these players in a coherent system over the last few years, and you can’t ignore their runs to back-to-back finals, which shows that they don’t mind the pressure of this stage.

Senegal haven’t had the most ideal pre-tournament preparation either, failing to beat either the USA or Saudi Arabia in their warm-up games. France’s quality should shine through.

Desire Doue is built for a stage like the World Cup. 

He’s already had plenty of success with PSG, winning the Champions League in each of the last two seasons, and has shown he’s comfortable with the limelight having scored in the Champions League final last year. 

Doue enjoyed another really strong season for PSG, registering 22 goal contributions across just 48 starts for his club. He has also made a pretty decent start for France across limited caps, netting a brace against Colombia in a friendly a few months back. 

I also like this angle because of the Super Sub options. Doue could be replaced by the likes of Bradley Barcola, Maghnes Akilouche or Rayan Cherki - so there’s plenty of attacking talent in reserve should France not quite manage to involve Doue when he’s on the pitch.

Sadio Mane still has plenty to offer at this level and is seen as Senegal’s main attacking threat at the age of 34.

He enjoyed another decent season in the Saudi Pro League last year, netting 14 goals in a total which is a tally he’s exceeded in each of the two previous campaigns.

He scored five goals for Senegal during qualifying from an average of 1.12 shots on target per 90, and also netted twice at AFCON from 10 shots on target (1.39 per 90). 

I think he’ll get at least one opportunity to get a shot away, and is also on penalties for his nation, which can offer an extra avenue to goal if Senegal win a spot kick.

I’m really excited to watch Lamine Camara at the World Cup. He’s been developing steadily with Monaco and is ready for a move to one of the truly elite sides on the continent.

Camara is a magnet for fouls. He averaged 1.36 fouls committed per 90 and 2.33 fouls won per 90 for Monaco in Ligue 1 during the 25/26 campaign, and I expect him to get very involved here against a French midfield which looks more physical than technical on paper. 

I’m particularly interested in his clash with Adrien Rabiot, who averaged just shy of 2.0 fouls won per 90 for AC Milan during the 25/26 campaign, with Aurelien Tchouameni also able to offer a threat, having averaged 0.93 fouls won per 90 for Real Madrid during the domestic campaign.

Camara is a bit cuter than both of those players, also making him a decent option to look at to win fouls, but may struggle with how dominant France will be in this game - he collected six cards across 22 starts for Monaco during the 25/26 season.

I come back to this selection quite often, I don’t rate Upamecano as highly as some people, as I think he’s pretty error-prone. 

I backed him regularly to commit fouls with Bayern Munich when I knew he was going to be up against a side that like to counter-attack. He’s not that confident in 1v1 situations, particularly against quick players, so the Senegalese frontline are bound to cause him problems as pretty much all of them fit this profile.

Upamecano averaged 0.75 fouls per 90 during the 25/26 season for Bayern Munich, and his main direct opponent is likely to be the lively Nicolas Jackson (0.90 fouls won per 90).

Olise averaged just shy of 2.0 shots on target per 90 for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, and found the target five times for France during qualifying across five starts (1.05 per 90).

He also scored a hat-trick in France's final warm-up game against Northern Ireland.

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Haaland scored 16 goals across just eight starts during Norway’s qualifying campaign, no player managed to score more.

His overall record for Norway is also pretty impressive with 55 goals across 50 caps, there aren’t many players on the international stage that have a positive goal to game ratio.

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Iraq are going to have to be quite physical and intense if they are to get something from this game, and that should lead to them picking up at least two cards in this encounter. 

They picked up 25 yellow cards across their 12 qualifying matches (2.08 per game), showing that they already have a pretty aggressive baseline even when facing up against sides of a similar level.

They also committed 20 fouls and picked up three yellow cards in their final game of qualifying to reach the World Cup as they squeezed past Bolivia. The referee for this game is Pierre Atcho, who handed out 12 yellow cards across three games at AFCON (4.00 per game).

Erling Haaland arrives at his first World Cup following another strong scoring season in the Premier League. He netted 41 goals across 56 appearances for Manchester City across the 25/26 campaign and seriously impressed for Norway during qualifying.

Haaland scored 16 goals across just eight starts during Norway’s qualifying campaign; no player managed to score more. His overall record for Norway is also pretty impressive, with 55 goals across 50 caps; there aren’t many players on the international stage who have a positive goal-to-game ratio. 

Iraq have never won a game at the World Cup and are likely to struggle with the presence of Haaland and the rest of Norway’s forward line, who netted 37 goals during qualifying (4.6 per game); Haaland’s goals accounted for 43% of this tally.

Sticking with Nusa, I think he’s a good player to watch for foul involvements in this clash. He won 11 fouls during qualifying (2.08 per 90), so that alone could cover this line - but I'm also looking out for frustration from the young winger if he struggles to beat his man.

Nusa maintained an even better foul won average for Leipzig during the 25/26 Bundesliga campaign (2.83), also averaging 0.40 fouls committed per 90. He’ll be up against Hussein Ali, who notably committed 12 fouls across just six starts during the 25/26 domestic season in Poland (2.10 fouls per 90).

I really like Antonio Nusa, and he could be really suited to the international stage, especially in games like this where Norway are going to be trying to unlock a stubborn low block.

Nusa registered five goal contributions during qualifying across six starts, taking 21 shots across these matches (3.96 per 90). This is a really promising shot volume and shows that he won’t be afraid to take on efforts when coming in from the left-hand side, which is usually where he operates.

Nusa saw four of these attempts find the target (0.75 per 90), suggesting that he could tame his efforts a little more to stop them from being so wild. He also enjoyed a pretty decent season in the Bundesliga during the 25/26 campaign, averaging 2.70 shots per 90 and 0.88 shots on target per 90.

Iraq are obviously going to pick their moments to go forward in this game given the gap in quality between the sides, which I think raises a decent chance of Norway’s defenders having to commit tactical fouls when the game gets stretched. 

Ajer is a pretty decent defender, playing for Brentford in the Premier League, and will have to deal with Ali Al Hamadi, who also has some top-flight experience and can be a real handful for the defender.

Ajer only committed three fouls during qualifying, but I’d expect his foul numbers to rise at this World Cup - especially when Norway are playing sides that will mainly set up to make the most of transition. Ajer averaged 1.15 fouls committed per 90 for Brentford during the 25/26 Premier League campaign, picking up four yellow cards across his 20 starts.

Colombia should be quite a fun side to follow during the World Cup, given some of the quality they have in the side. Players like Diaz, Rodriguez, Suarez and Arias should all entertain and give Colombia a decent chance of reaching the knockout stages. 

Uzbekistan are the weakest side in this group on paper and don’t have much experience at all of competing on this stage. I expect it to be quite a learning curve for Uzbekistan, though they are worth keeping an eye on in the coming years with how successful the country has been in the youth tournaments over recent campaigns.

Colombia have scored first in five of their last six international matches, and I expect them to deliver the first blow here against an Uzbekistan side that may find it difficult to even get on the scoresheet.

DR Congo can be stubborn, but I do expect Portugal to eventually break them down and go on to win by a couple of goals.

There's so much quality in this Portugal side, and Ronaldo will also be aware that this is one of his few real chances to add to his World Cup goal tally - which, for a player of his standing, isn't actually that impressive.

Portugal scored 20 goals in six qualifying games (3.33 per game), and they have the firepower to unlock what's expected to be a low block from Congo, thanks to the talented midfield trio of Fernandes, Vitinha and Neves.

DR Congo conceded two goals in their final warm-up against Chile, and recent form suggests their stubbornness can waver against elite opposition; they've shipped 3+ goals in games against Senegal and Morocco within the last year.

I do think England may have to score more than once to win this game. Croatia may be an ageing side, but they do have real threats who can cause the Three Lions problems, having won seven of their eight qualifying matches themselves.

Croatia also have a very consistent record at international tournaments over the last few years. They beat England 2-1 in the 2018 World Cup, with the sides also facing each other in the Nations League over the last few years, with England getting their revenge in those matches.

England have seen 2+ goals in nine of their last 11 matches across all competitions, with the exceptions being friendly matches against Japan and New Zealand.

I’m a bit worried about Ghana in this group, many people have Panama bottom but the African side could really struggle without one of their main stars in Mohammed Kudus. 

Ghana failed to even qualify for AFCON earlier this year, which was a real failure and kind of reflects where the nation is ahead of this World Cup. Panama really struggled the last time they featured at a World Cup, but have improved since then and shown recent signs of promise - including scoring twice against Brazil in a recent friendly.

I don’t think Ghana will sit back here, this is the most winnable game for them of their three group matches - though Panama can definitely carry an attacking threat themselves having scored in each of their last five matches, including against other sides that have reached the World Cup such as Bosnia and South Africa.

Another 36-year-old veteran at the World Cup, Farrukh Sayfiev looks set to start in a left wingback role. Uzbekistan have been handed a tough draw, and this opening fixture against Colombia promises to be a significant test, where they will have lots of defending to do.  

Sayfiev was recently shown a yellow card against Canada in a friendly, finishing the game with two fouls, and he repeated that feat against Netherlands last time out. This time, he was fortunate to escape a booking. Sayfiev started four games for Uzbekistan in their qualifiers, and he committed multiple fouls each of those - he was booked against Iran for racking up four infringements in the first half alone. 

Sayfiev can often lunge recklessly into tackles, and he will likely draw the matchup of Jhon Arias on the flank here, but also Daniel Munoz who often marauds forward - those two will keep him busy.

Anibal Godoy is averaging 1.56 fouls per 90 playing for San Diego FC in the MLS this season, which has translated to five yellow cards. The 36-year-old has plenty of experience, but he can sometimes be a bit rash in his challenges, looking to protect his back line.

He has a very similar job for Panama, operating in a defensive midfield position, and he is expected to play a massive role for them at this World Cup - he started five matches during the qualifiers, helping them to an unbeaten finish. 

From his six appearances overall, Godoy had a notable average of 1.91 fouls per 90, which translated to three bookings. This upcoming matchup against Ghana will be a step up from what he is used to, as the Black Stars are expected to start Antoine Semenyo, Abdul Fatawu and Jordan Ayew.

Luka Vuskovic has had a breakthrough season for Hamburg, which has earned the 19-year-old a call-up to the Croatia first eleven - he is expected to be given the nod to start here in defence against England.

It’s a big game for the youngster, who doesn’t have much experience in this kind of matchup, and he is likely to come up against either Bukayo Saka or Noni Madueke if he starts on the left side of a back three. Vuskovic has six yellows in 30 appearances for Hamburg this season, from an average of 1.12 fouls per 90.

Vuskovic has generally seen an uptick in fouls when playing for his national side - he started one game for Croatia in their World Cup qualifying matches, and he committed two fouls against the Faroe Islands.

He then committed at least two fouls in all three of his starts in the warm-up friendlies, where he also picked up a booking against Brazil.

Portugal are heavy favourites coming into this clash, and the current Nations League champions are heavily fancied to top Group K.

However, DR Congo aren’t a side to be underestimated, and they have some serious talent in forward areas - the most notable name being Yoane Wissa. Nathanael Mbuka looks set to start on the left wing, and the Montpellier man is averaging 2.52 fouls drawn per 90 across all competitions domestically this season.

He is a tricky winger always looking to beat his man, and Joao Cancelo will have the tough task of trying to contain him out wide. The fullback has started two friendlies since the World Cup qualifiers, and he was carded against the USA despite only playing the first half.

Cancelo has picked up five yellows in 23 appearances across all competitions this season playing for Barcelona.

Portugal averaged 6.84 corners per game during qualifying, and I think it’ll take them a bit of time to find a way through a stubborn DR Congo side.

Portugal managed 6+ corners in 57% of their qualifying matches, and have also seen 6+ corners in 50% of their friendly matches this year, averaging bang on 6.0 corners per game.

DR Congo will keep things tight in central areas, naturally forcing Portugal to build up through the wide channels, which is ideal when backing them to rack up at least six corners in this clash.

I like taking this angle when I know Vitinha is going to be up against a side sitting quite deep. He’s not a prolific shooter, but he does like to aim from distance when faced by a low block.

Vitinha took 34 shots for PSG during the 25/26 Ligue 1 season (1.44 per 90), 32 of these efforts came from outside of the box. He had a similar record in the Champions League, taking 36 of his 43 efforts from distance and scoring six goals as PSG lifted the trophy.

Seven of his 11 attempts for Portugal during qualifying also came from outside of the box, showing just how often Vitinha likes to take aim from distance when he is given the opportunity. 

He’s going to spend a lot of time around the edge of the box for Portugal so I expect him to aim on a few occasions, with at least one of these attempts finding the target.

Bruno Fernandes enters this tournament having just won Premier League POTY, earned partly due to the 21 assists he registered - breaking the longstanding assist record in a single season in the Premier League, previously held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. 

Fernandes is just as important to Portugal as he is to Manchester United and should take ownership of most set-piece situations. One dynamic to keep an eye on here and throughout the tournament is Fernandes assisting Ronaldo. The striker may not be at the elite level he once was, but he’s still really effective in the air, and Fernandes has the quality to pick him out. 

He didn’t actually register an assist for Portugal during qualifying, but he really should have with his underlying chance creation numbers. Fernandes set up 21 chances across his five starts during qualifying (4.80 per 90).

Chancel Mbemba is DR Congo’s captain and has a pretty consistent record when it comes to picking up cautions.

DR Congo should play with a back five here with Mbemba acting as one of the three centre backs. He usually plays as the central centre back, which pits him directly against Ronaldo. 

I see Mbemba having to contest quite a few duels against Ronaldo and also Bruno Fernandes at times, which should put him in decent situations to pick up a caution.

Mbemba picked up three yellow cards across just nine starts for Lille during the 25/26 season and also picked up one card across his four appearances at AFCON earlier this year for DR Congo.

I’ve enjoyed taking this line in the early mismatches of the group stage. We only need one card for this leg of our bet builder to come in, which is always likely when Portugal have to try and stop DR Congo breaking away quickly.

This has been a recurring situation throughout the early group stage matches, and frustration could also come into play for Roberto Martinez’s side if they are slow to find a way past the low block of DR Congo.

They averaged 1.50 cards received per game during qualifying, in a group containing Ireland, Hungary, and Armenia.

DR Congo can be stubborn, but I do expect Portugal to eventually break them down and go on to win by a couple of goals.

There's so much quality in this Portugal side, and Ronaldo will also be aware that this is one of his few real chances to add to his World Cup goal tally - which, for a player of his standing, isn't actually that impressive.

Portugal scored 20 goals in six qualifying games (3.33 per game), and they have the firepower to unlock what's expected to be a low block from Congo, thanks to the talented midfield trio of Fernandes, Vitinha and Neves.

DR Congo conceded two goals in their final warm-up against Chile, and recent form suggests their stubbornness can waver against elite opposition; they've shipped 3+ goals in games against Senegal and Morocco within the last year.

Cristiano Ronaldo may be 41, but he’s still going to play a key role at this World Cup for Portugal in what is likely to be his last stab at winning the competition.

Ronaldo scored 28 goals across 30 starts for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League during the 25/26 season, averaging 5.55 shots per 90 and 2.07 shots on target per 90. 

He’s scored 30+ goals in each of his last three seasons in the Saudi Pro League, which is admittedly a lower standard of football than Europe - but his international record is just as promising.

Ronaldo scored five goals across five starts for Portugal during qualifying, but the real story from his data is his shot volume. He took 31 shots across these games (7.44 per 90), seeing 12 of these efforts find the target (2.88 per 90).

This tells me that Ronaldo is pretty desperate to make the most of what should be his final World Cup. His overall record for Portugal is also seriously impressive, scoring 143 goals across 228 caps since 2003.

Nuno Mendes is definitely the best left back in the world, and that status has mainly been achieved by how effective he is going forward.

He’s so effective in the final third that Luis Enrique has even played him as part of the front three for PSG at times during the 25/26 season, but he’s just as effective when it comes to getting shots away from left back.

He averaged 2.16 shots per 90 for PSG during the 25/26 Ligue 1 season, as well as 1.09 shots per 90 during the Champions League campaign. 

This record also translates to his performances for the national team, taking five shots across his four appearances during qualifying (1.38 per 90).

Noah Sadiki is one of the more established players in this DR Congo side and will have to play an important role if the African side are to get something from this game.

I regularly backed Sadiki for foul involvements during the 25/26 Premier League season due to how much ground he covers and how aggressive he is with his challenges. He was fouled 40 times across 33 appearances in the Premier League last season (1.24 per 90).

Portugal will dominate possession, but in the moments where DR Congo can pinch the ball back, Sadiki can frustrate with his ability to drive with the ball through central areas. The longer DR Congo can keep Portugal frustrated, the more chance they will have to get a foothold in the game, and a large part of that will be winning fouls to break up the game.

This is a great boost for England's opening game against Croatia. Kane scored eight goals across his eight appearances during qualifying, averaging 2.11 shots on target per 90.

England have seen 2+ goals in nine of their last 11 matches across all competitions, most recently putting three goals past Costa Rica.

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Olise averaged just shy of 2.0 shots on target per 90 for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last season, and found the target five times for France during qualifying across five starts (1.05 per 90).

He also scored a hat-trick in France's final warm-up game against Northern Ireland.

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It is impossible to discuss this fixture without focusing on Lionel Messi - the 38-year-old is expected to start against Algeria, which would be his sixth World Cup.

With 13 goals and seven assists from his 16 appearances for Inter Miami this season, Messi is still operating at the highest level, and he contributed a further eight goals and three assists during Argentina’s 12 World Cup qualifying matches. 

It was Kylian Mbappe who earned the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup, but Messi was just one goal behind the Frenchman, with seven goals from seven appearances. Messi also contributed three assists, and he is expected to play a significant role in the final third again this summer.

Ibrahim Maza is another Algerian player who is one to keep an eye on, and the 20-year-old had a breakthrough 25/26 campaign with Bayer Leverkusen, contributing five goals and six assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.

Operating in an advanced midfield position, Maza is one of the most exciting young players at this tournament, and he had an average of 2.62 shots per 90 in the Bundesliga this season, with a decent chunk of those efforts coming from outside the box. 

Maza is not short of confidence, and he chipped in with two goals in five appearances at AFCON, demonstrating his quality at the international level. If Algeria are to cause problems on the break against Argentina, Maza is likely to be involved.

Messi averaged 2.96 fouls drawn per 90 for Argentina in the qualifying games, which shows how he remains the primary creative force for his national side, and it’s going to be a tough job for Algeria to contain him. Rayan Ait-Nouri looks set for a big role at left back. 

The Man City fullback had a limited role under Pep Guardiola this season, but still averaged 1.51 fouls per 90 across all competitions. That figure rose significantly on the international stage, where he is trusted with a much greater role, and Ait-Nouri had an average of 3.28 fouls per 90 at AFCON.

He likes to be aggressive in his challenges, but this promises to be one of the tougher matchups of his career.

Algeria’s quality in the final third shouldn’t be discounted here, with the likes of Mohamed Amoura, Amine Gouiri and, of course, the experienced veteran Riyad Mahrez. They have enough firepower to cause problems going forward, and contribute to the scorecard. 

However, keeping this Argentina side at bay will be their biggest challenge. With 31 goals scored across their 18 qualifying matches, no South American side was anywhere near as efficient as Argentina in the final third.

Over 2.5 goals landed in five out of seven matches in their 2022 World Cup run, which shows how their games tend to be quite open and high-scoring, and that should be the case again here.

Argentina have been handed a favourable draw alongside Algeria, Austria, and Jordan, and the South American side will want to kick off their opening fixture with a convincing win.

Argentina were on the receiving end of one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history in 2022 when they were beaten by Saudi Arabia in their opening match, so Scaloni's side will be aware not to repeat that this time round. 

Argentina are going to take some stopping at the moment, though. After cruising to top spot in the CONMEBOL qualifiers, they have won all seven friendlies prior to this tournament, which underlines the talent in their ranks.

Mbappe comes alive at the World Cup, he registered 10 goal contributions across just six starts in 2022 and also found the net four times across six appearances in 2018.

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