Tips Hub

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.

You can back Bow Echo OR Gstaad to win the 16:20 at Royal Ascot by clicking the link below 👇

You can back Notable Speech to finish in the Top 3 today by clicking the link below 👇

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.

You can back the winger to have a shot on target @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

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.

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.

Proving solid on the flat at the beginning of his career with two wins from his four starts, MACHETE  BEACH (9.0) has transitioned well to hurdles with two wins from three starts, and given that both of his wins came last month, he’s producing top form of late.  

Making his first appearance in handicap company today at Stratford, his mark of 114 looks a workable one, especially with course form under his belt when winning over a further 2m2f trip last time out. Stepping back in trip to 2m today, he has already proved himself over this trip when winning at Hereford early last month, and given he can stay further, it puts him in solid standing for today’s contest.  

A five-year-old who likes to make all the running in his races, Machete Beach shouldn’t have any issues dictating the pace of this race, considering it is a small three-runner affair, and with ground conditions the same as his win here last month, he holds bold claims for landing the hat-trick.

A five-time Group 1 winner throughout his career, NOTABLE SPEECH (9.0) is a top-class five-year-old, and given his performance last time out at Newbury when winning the Lockinge by a comfortable two lengths, he’s the form pick for today’s Queen Anne. 

Beating today’s re-opposing More Thunder last month at Newbury when winning the Lockinge, Notable  Speech showed a brilliant turn of foot to put the race to bed, and given he’s had the perfect preparation heading into today’s Queen Anne, he’s the one to beat. 

Although his form at Ascot doesn’t paint the best picture with two losses from two starts, he will be looking to make amends after his flop in the St James’s Palace Stakes here last year. Still, given his dominant performance at Newbury and his winning three of his last four appearances, he looks likely to set the record straight at Royal Ascot today.

BUNTING is one of a whole host of potential each-way options for this season’s stamina-sapping 2m4f Ascot Stakes Handicap. The Willie Mullins-trained son of Bathyrhon has yet to shine in four hurdle outings this season, but could be set for improvement back on the level.

He has one flat success from five efforts, so he is lightly-raced in this discipline. A keeping-on third in the competitive 2m2f Cesarewitch at Newmarket offered a clue that this extreme distance may suit perfectly. He also has the assistance of a useful 7lb claimer

MAP OF STARS is among plenty of each-way candidates, in what looks like a tricky-to-decipher renewal of the Listed Wolferton Stakes over 1m2f. Despite being the apparent second string for his powerful ownership, I believe Map Of Stars has the credentials to run into a placing, if able to replicate the best of his form.

The Sea The Stars gelding is a Group Three and Group Two winner over this journey, and he ran a fine fourth in the G1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes here last term. A reproduction of that effort, at this lesser level, would see him go close, in my opinion. First-time cheekpieces may also be able to invigorate the unexposed five-year-old.

SING US A SONG represents a strong each-way selection, for another Wathnan-owned runner, with excellent claims. The Camelot four-year-old is three from nine, and he is certainly an unexposed type, who has scope to improve now raised in trip.

He was well supported in the market, for a 1m4f handicap at this meeting last season, but couldn’t get involved after a slow beginning. The extra two furlongs look right up his street, considering he is a brother to a two-mile hurdle winner.

MORE THUNDER holds strong each-way credentials in what doesn’t appear to be a stellar renewal of the G1 Queen Anne Stakes over a mile. The William Haggas-trained five-year-old ran a blinder on seasonal reappearance, when second behind the reopposing winner, Notable Speech, in the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury.

He ran an excellent runner-up position at Royal Ascot last season — in the Wokingham Handicap over 6f. This will be his first outing over a mile, and the stiff finish at this mile distance ought to play to his strengths.

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.

You can back Norway's top scorer to find the back of the net against a side that have never won a game at a World Cup @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

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.

You can back Mbappe to register a goal or an assist @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

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.

You can back the winger to have a shot on target @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇