Mexico raise the curtain on the 2026 World Cup unbeaten in eight games. They have conceded just twice in this run, with five of their six wins during this period being accompanied by a clean sheet. South Africa have only won one of their last five games and scored just four goals in the process, with the majority of their opponents being significantly weaker than El Tri.

Canada look a stronger team than Bosnia and they have the added benefit of home advantage. The Canucks are on an eight-game unbeaten run and are facing a Bosnia side who have drawn their last five games. Canada can win without conceding as they have become clean sheet specialists in the build-up to the tournament with six shut-outs in their last eight games.

USA have four wins in their last seven games and that includes a 2-1 friendly success over their South American opponents. The Stars and Stripes put in a strong display in defeat to Germany in their final warm-up game and a similar level of performance should be enough to down Paraguay.

Brazil endured a rough World Cup qualifying campaign and head into this tournament having seen both teams score in their last five matches. Morocco are in form and have scored 11 goals in their last three games, so they can find the net against the Selecao.

Scotland come flying into the tournament after a 4-1 win over Curacao and a 4-0 success over Bolivia. The Tartan Army should have far too much for Haiti and they can kick off their World Cup 2026 bid by winning with room to spare against one of the lowest ranked teams in the competition.

Turkiye have won 11 of their last 14 matches since the start of 2025, and they can beat an Australia side that is outmatched in terms of talent. The Socceroos lost three of their four visits to North America last autumn, and Turkiye are aiming to build on their Euro 2024 showing.

Both teams have scored in each of Sweden’s last six games and they have gone 11 without a clean sheet, shipping 23 goals in total during that run. Tunisia have conceded in seven of their last nine games and with both defences looking suspect goals at both ends looks a good starting point in this Group F game.

Varberg lead the way in the Superettan and they’re on a five game winning streak. The hosts should be able to make it six in a row against Norrby, who have just 10 points to show from as many games, but the visitors are yet to draw a blank on their travels and they can keep that run going.

This is a meeting between two suspect defences as Orebro concede on average 1.4 goals per-game and Sundsvall have shipped 20 games in 10 league outings. Both teams have scored in each of Orebro’s last three games and in three of the visitors’ last six.

Varberg lead the way in the Superettan and they’re on a five game winning streak. The hosts should be able to make it six in a row against Norrby, who have just 10 points to show from as many games, but the visitors are yet to draw a blank on their travels and they can keep that run going.

Malaga won the first leg 1-0 and they can finish this semi-final tie off with a win in front of their own fans. They have beaten Las Palmas in all three meetings this season and are on a six-game unbeaten streak, with five wins, while Las Palmas have four defeats in their last seven road games – including a 2-0 loss at this venue.

Malaga won the first leg 1-0 and they can finish this semi-final tie off with a win in front of their own fans. They have beaten Las Palmas in all three meetings this season and are on a six-game unbeaten streak, with five wins, while Las Palmas have four defeats in their last seven road games – including a 2-0 loss at this venue. Malaga have kept back-to-back clean sheets and Las Palmas have failed to score in all three previous meetings this season, the hosts can pick up another win without conceding.

England had eight wins to nil in their World Cup qualifying group and added another win with a clean sheet against New Zealand on Saturday. Costa Rica have never scored against the Three Lions and that may well still apply after Wednesday’s match.

Malaga won the first leg 1-0 and they can finish this semi-final tie off with a win in front of their own fans. They have beaten Las Palmas in all three meetings this season and are on a six-game unbeaten streak, with five wins, while Las Palmas have four defeats in their last seven road games – including a 2-0 loss at this venue.

England had eight wins to nil in their World Cup qualifying group and added another win with a clean sheet against New Zealand on Saturday. Costa Rica have never scored against the Three Lions and that may well still apply after Wednesday’s match.

Friendlies don’t have to be boring and over 2.5 goals appeals for Portugal’s home match against a talented Nigeria team. Portugal beat Chile 2-1 on Saturday, while Nigeria are coming off a 3-0 win over Jamaica and a 2-2 draw in Poland.

England won four of their eight World Cup qualifying matches by a 2-0 scoreline and they had more than enough chances to add to their single strike against New Zealand. Costa Rica have failed to score in three of their last five games and another 2-0 England win could be coming.

With Portugal ramping up their World Cup preparations while Nigeria are about to sign off for the summer, the home side should have the desire to secure a home win but it could be a close contest against a capable side and a 2-1 home win looks a solid choice.

Friendlies don’t have to be boring and over 2.5 goals appeals for Portugal’s home match against a talented Nigeria team. Portugal beat Chile 2-1 on Saturday, while Nigeria are coming off a 3-0 win over Jamaica and a 2-2 draw in Poland.

Harry Kane notched England’s goal against New Zealand on Saturday but at a bigger price Ollie Watkins is a worthwhile anytime goalscorer bet against Costa Rica. Watkins scored six goals in his final five games for Aston Villa this season.

Portugal have landed in a winnable group alongside Colombia, DR Congo, and Uzbekistan. Winning that group would give them a softer run in the early knockout rounds, before a potential meeting with Argentina in the quarter-finals. They beat hosts Germany 2-1 in the Nations League semis before triumphing over Spain, and edging those big clashes suggests they could become the ninth country to win the World Cup.

Ecuador conceded only five goals across their 18 South American qualifiers, losing just two of 18 games across the toughest qualifying route in the world. They put together an 18-game unbeaten run ahead of the tournament, which is largely built on defensive solidity. While they aren’t thrilling in the final third, being hard to beat helped take Morocco and Croatia far four years ago. In a tournament where the heat is expected to work against progressive, attacking sides, Ecuador could thrive.

World Cup surprise packages tend to have solid defensive records and a core group of quality players. Japan have some real midfield quality in Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ritsu Doan, and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo. After five straight wins to nil, Japan look capable of recording their best ever tournament finish this summer. The expanded field should play into their hands, but they’ve proven capable of upsetting football’s elite in the past.

Ecuador conceded only five goals across their 18 South American qualifiers, losing just two of 18 games across the toughest qualifying route in the world. They put together an 18-game unbeaten run ahead of the tournament, which is largely built on defensive solidity. While they aren’t thrilling in the final third, being hard to beat helped take Morocco and Croatia far four years ago. In a tournament where the heat is expected to work against progressive, attacking sides, Ecuador could thrive.

Raul Jimenez is the top goalscorer in the Mexico squad by a large distance and has netted 10 of his 45 international goals since the start of 2025. He scored against Serbia last time out and can begin his third World Cup campaign by finding the net.

Patrik Schick is the key focal point for this Czech Republic side and scored five goals for his nation in qualifying. His team were the best in qualifying from set-pieces and he could prosper in this game.

Balogun was on target for the US in their opening two games at the last Copa America, and he comes into this tournament after scoring 11 goals in his final 14 club games.

Embolo finished the season in good form for Rennes, and he has a good scoring record for the Swiss. He’s scored nine times across his last 12 internationals, and he struck twice at Euro 2024.

Scott McTominay scored his 15th international goal against Bolivia last time out and 14 of these have come in his 33 appearances since the beginning of 2023. He has found the net in four of his last eight appearances for club and country.

Since winning Euro 2024, Spain have extended their unbeaten record to 28 matches, reaching the final of the Nations League and breezing through their World Cup qualifying campaign. European sides have historically struggled in tournaments held in other continents, but that trend appears to be turning. Spain won in South Africa in 2010, followed by Germany’s success in Brazil four years later. France were a shootout away from repeating the trick four years ago. There hasn’t been a World Cup final without a European side since 1950, and the European champions can extend that streak this summer.

Australia may be the underdogs in Group D, but this is arguably the most competitive group in the World Cup and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few upsets shake up the pecking order.

The Socceroos may lack star quality, but they are tactically sound under Tony Popovic and head into the tournament in good form. They won two group-stage games in Qatar four years ago and, with the expanded tournament format, a single win in Group D could be enough to see them through to the knockout stages again.

Sweden’s squad has all the individual components to construct a good side, but the cohesion is lacking for Graham Potter’s men and all three of their Group F competitors are capable of beating them.

They are fortunate to have made it this far after a dismal qualifying campaign in which they failed to win a single game. They scraped past Poland in their play-off final and have failed to beat both Greece and Norway so far this year.

Taking part in their first World Cup since then-Zaire qualified for the 1974 edition, DR Congo have a reasonable chance of picking up their first World Cup points this time around.

The likes of Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa give them plenty of quality going forward and their defence is well-staffed with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, and Arthur Masuaku.

It would not be a surprise to see them nick a result against either Norway or France, and a win over Uzbekistan appears likely.

Ghana have plenty of quality going forward, but the absence of the injured Mohammed Kudus is a big blow and they head into the tournament in woeful form.

They have lost five of their last six games and Carlos Queiroz’s first two games in charge have yielded defeat to Mexico and a draw with Wales. The Portuguese manager has not had time to get to grips with this squad and they have won just two of their last 13 major tournament fixtures.

Panama may be outsiders, but they are compact enough to frustrate Ghana, and it’s difficult to see the Black Stars getting anything from Croatia or England.

Co-hosts Mexico may face stiff competition from Czechia and South Korea, but a home crowd and a favourable travel schedule could make all the difference.

El Tri, who are unbeaten in eight games, play all three of their group games at high altitude and have the lowest travelling distance of any team at the World Cup. Their squad consists largely of domestic-based players, who will be acclimatised to the conditions in Mexico City and Zapopan.

The teams in Group D appear relatively well-matched, but USA will be hoping that home advantage can play a part in securing top spot.

They beat both Paraguay and Australia in friendlies last year, and a repeat of those successes would likely be enough to get them over the line, although Turkey are the biggest threat to those hopes.

Germany begin their World Cup campaign against minnows Curacao, and it is hard to see anything other than a winning start for a side boasting some of the most exciting attackers in the world.

They have won their last eight games and are likely to have too much for both Ecuador and Ivory Coast, so it would not be a surprise to see them top the standings with maximum points.

The Netherlands have not lost inside 90 minutes since October 2024 and their rock-solid defence should guide them to the top spot in Group F.

They have a worrying reliance on Memphis Depay going forward and a continued inability to beat the better teams in the competition, but all three of their Group F competitors are there for the taking for Ronald Koeman’s side, who went unbeaten in qualifying.

Spain are outright favourites to lift the trophy in July, and the European champions look primed to ease to top spot in Group H.

Uruguay are their only realistic competition for that position, but they have failed to beat Algeria, England, USA and Mexico in their last four games and are likely to come undone against the star-studded La Roja.

Spain are the current favourites and seem set for a deep run at the World Cup. La Roja also have a kind draw with Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia joining them in Group H. Lamine Yamal scored 16 goals in La Liga for Barcelona in 28 games and is among the contenders to top the World Cup 2026 scoring charts.

Kylian Mbappe finished last season as the top scorer in La Liga with 25 goals and he scored five goals in four games during qualifying. France are among the tournament favourites and are likely to reach the latter stages and they will face Iraq, Senegal and Norway in the group stages, so Mbappe may be able to score a few goals in the earlier rounds.

Erling Haaland had 16 goals in eight games over qualifying and enjoyed another excellent season domestically with 38 goals across all competitions. Haaland’s Norway face France, Senegal and Iraq in the group stage and he could reach four goals in those three games alone.

Julian Alvarez has developed a reputation as a striker who raises his levels in cup competitions having scored 22 goals in 32 Champions League games for current club Atletico Madrid and Manchester City across the last three seasons. Argentina will face Algeria, Jordan and Austria in the group stages, so Alvarez could grab a few goals in the group phase and that makes him a contender to top the scoring charts.

Rayan Cherki had 12 Premier League assists for Manchester City this season and he also provided a further four in 11 games across their EFL Cup and FA Cup successes. France have an incredible attacking line-up and Cherki will be picking out passes for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Desire Doue.

In terms of technical ability Neuer is right up there with the best stoppers of all time and the fact he is now playing for a fairly average Germany side, by their standards anyway, could actually work in his favour in the battle for Golden Glove honours as he may have more saves to make and more work in terms of organising his defence.

Lamine Yamal is the most exciting attacking talent in a strong Spain side and he has a habit of scoring eye-catching goals, those attributes can be key in deciding where the player of the tournament award ends up.

World Cup surprise packages tend to have solid defensive records and a core group of quality players. Japan have some real midfield quality in Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ritsu Doan, and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo. After five straight wins to nil, Japan look capable of recording their best ever tournament finish this summer. The expanded field should play into their hands, but they’ve proven capable of upsetting football’s elite in the past.

Co-hosts Mexico may face stiff competition from Czechia and South Korea, but a home crowd and a favourable travel schedule could make all the difference.

El Tri, who are unbeaten in eight games, play all three of their group games at high altitude and have the lowest travelling distance of any team at the World Cup. Their squad consists largely of domestic-based players, who will be acclimatised to the conditions in Mexico City and Zapopan.

Switzerland and Canada may be the two favourite sides in Group B, but Bosnia-Herzegovina showed the grit needed in tournament football to beat Wales and Italy en route to World Cup qualification.

Led by veteran Edin Dzeko, they bring a good balance of youth and experience to the tournament. They should beat outsiders Qatar with relative ease, and it would not be a surprise to see them beat either Canada or Switzerland and take top spot.

This crop of Brazil players may lack the superstar quality to pin them as one of the favourites to land a record-extending sixth World Cup, but they should top Group C with ease.

Haiti are huge outsiders and both Morocco and Scotland lack the pedigree and quality to topple Carlo Ancelotti’s Selecao.

The teams in Group D appear relatively well-matched, but USA will be hoping that home advantage can play a part in securing top spot.

They beat both Paraguay and Australia in friendlies last year, and a repeat of those successes would likely be enough to get them over the line, although Turkey are the biggest threat to those hopes.

Germany begin their World Cup campaign against minnows Curacao, and it is hard to see anything other than a winning start for a side boasting some of the most exciting attackers in the world.

They have won their last eight games and are likely to have too much for both Ecuador and Ivory Coast, so it would not be a surprise to see them top the standings with maximum points.

The Netherlands have not lost inside 90 minutes since October 2024 and their rock-solid defence should guide them to the top spot in Group F.

They have a worrying reliance on Memphis Depay going forward and a continued inability to beat the better teams in the competition, but all three of their Group F competitors are there for the taking for Ronald Koeman’s side, who went unbeaten in qualifying.

Similar to the Dutch, it is difficult to see this crop of Belgium players going all the way in North America, but they have been handed a favourable group and should ease to top spot.

Egypt will be their biggest threat but their squad lacks quality outside of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, while Iran and New Zealand should pose few problems for the Red Devils.

Spain are outright favourites to lift the trophy in July, and the European champions look primed to ease to top spot in Group H.

Uruguay are their only realistic competition for that position, but they have failed to beat Algeria, England, USA and Mexico in their last four games and are likely to come undone against the star-studded La Roja.

Norway enjoyed a flawless World Cup qualifying campaign, but recent performances against the Netherlands and Switzerland hint at an inability to compete with the best sides, and France are certainly in that bracket.

Finalists in the last two World Cups and heading to the 2026 edition as second-favourites, Les Bleus have won eight of their last 10 games and have arguably the best squad in world football.

Continuing the theme of hot favourites living up to the billing, defending champions Argentina have won their last five games and should ease to the group win later this month.

La Albiceleste have form and quality on their side and should kick off proceedings with a big win over Jordan. A meeting with Austria in the second round of fixtures is likely to be key, but Messi and company should be able to navigate that tie.

Portugal made the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago and there is a case to be made for them being legitimate contenders for their first-ever World Cup crown.

They may not be able to take those last few steps, but they should begin the campaign by topping a relatively easy Group K. Colombia are the biggest threat, but they have lost to both France and Croatia this year and lack the quality of the two-time UEFA Nations League champions.

With Ghana trying to adapt under new manager Carlos Queiroz and Panama huge outsiders, England’s opener against Croatia is likely to decide top spot in Group L and the Three Lions should have enough to see off that threat.

They have won their last two meetings with Croatia and are yet to concede a competitive goal under Thomas Tuchel, while the Vatreni have lost to Brazil and Belgium this year.