Martin's Picks (2 Live)
This game will take place in San Francisco, and home advantage could be crucial for Team USA. Mauricio Pochettino’s men beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 in their first two group stage games, before resting a bunch of players in a meaningless 3-2 defeat to Türkiye. Their star players will now be fresh for this game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Bosnians drew 1-1 with Canada, lost 4-1 to Switzerland, and beat Qatar 3-1 in the group stage, but this will be their toughest test so far.
This promises to be an entertaining game between two high-scoring teams that struggle to defend. Over 2.5 goals paid off in all three of Senegal’s group stage games – a 3-1 loss to France, a 3-2 defeat to Norway, and a 5-0 win against Iraq. Belgium are coming off a heavy 5-1 win against New Zealand, which should boost their morale.
England have shown flashes of attacking brilliance during this tournament. They beat Croatia 4-2, drew 0-0 with Ghana, and then beat Panama 2-0. That means they’ve covered a 1.5-goal spread in two out of three games so far. They also covered a 1.5-goal spread in seven of their eight World Cup qualifiers. Going back further, The Three Lions have covered a 1.5-goal spread in 12 of their last 14 competitive matches. They have enough firepower to beat DR Congo, as Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are in fine form right now, and they really should win this game comfortably.
Sweden began their group stage campaign with a 5-1 win against Tunisia, but they then lost 5-1 to the Netherlands. A 1-1 draw with Japan means they conceded seven games in three group stage games. That doesn't bode well for their chances of containing a world-class French attack. France are the World Cup favorites, and they scored 3+ goals in all of their group stage matches, so Les Bleus could run riot against this leaky Swedish defense.
Norway’s superior attacking firepower could make the difference in this game. They scored seven goals in their first two group stage games – a 4-1 win against Iraq and a 3-2 victory over Senegal – before resting 10 players for their 4-1 defeat to France this week. The likes of Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard will now be fresh for this game, and they could lead their team to victory over Ivory Coast. The Ivorians beat Ecuador and Curaçao in the group stage, but they lost to Germany, and they could struggle against another strong European team.
Brazil should be too strong for Japan when these teams clash on Monday. The Seleção should be full of confidence after beating Haiti 3-0 and Scotland 3-0 in their last two games. Vinícius Júnior is on fire right now, and he could cause problems for Japan's defense. Japan were unbeaten in the group stage, but they could struggle to compete with Brazil's rampant attack in this game. They've never previously won a World Cup knockout stage match, so this could be the end of the road for Japan.
Brazil's elite forwards should be too hot for Scotland to handle in this game. Raphinha is out injured, but Rayan is an able deputy. Vinícius Júnior has been on fire at this tournament, and Matheus Cunha is fresh from scoring twice in Brazil's 3-0 win against Haiti. Scotland lost 1-0 to Morocco last time out, and they could struggle to contain Vinícius.
This game will decide who wins Group B. Canada and Switzerland have both taken four points from two games so far, but the Canadians have a superior goal difference. That means the Swiss will only finish first if they win this game. They should have enough quality to beat Canada. Switzerland could only draw 1-1 with Qatar in their opener, despite dominating that game, but they thumped Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 on Matchday 2. Johan Manzambi was phenomenal in that game, and he could put Canada to the sword.
This should be an entertaining game between two strong teams. Norway thrashed Iraq 4-1 in their opening match. Erling Haaland was devastating in attack, but the Norwegian defense looked flimsy, and they were lucky to only concede on goal. Senegal lost 3-1 to France, the outright World Cup favorite, but the Lions of Teranga played well in that game. The Senegal squad is stacked with dangerous attackers, include Sadio Mané, Ibrahim Mbaye, Nicolas Jackson, and Ismaïla Sarr, so this promises to be an entertaining, high-scoring match.
France showed why they’re the World Cup favourites by beating Senegal 3-1 in their opener. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, and Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola, and Désiré Doué also looked sharp. Iraq lost 4-1 to Norway, but they created loads of chances in that game, and they could test France’s defense, so this should be a high-scoring match.
Argentina should be full of confidence after cruising to a 3-0 win against Algeria in their opening World Cup game. The reigning world champions dominated that game, and Lionel Messi’s hat-trick was the highlight of the tournament so far. La Albiceleste should extend their winning streak when they face Austria. The Austrians beat Jordan 3-1 on Matchday 1, but they could struggle to deal with Argentina’s sheer firepower. Even if Messi isn’t firing on all cylinders, they can call upon Lautaro Martínez and Júlian Álvarez, so they should win this game.
Germany brutally exposed Curaçao's limitations by thrashing the Caribbean nation 7-1 at the weekend. The winning margin could easily have been higher, as the Germans created chances at will. Curaçao is the smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup - and it showed. Ecuador will be disappointed to lose 1-0 to Ivory Coast on Matchday 1, as they were the better team and hit the woodwork a couple of times, but they should bounce back with a comfortable win against this weak Curaçao team.
Paraguay were really disappointing in their 4-1 defeat to the USA on Matchday 1. They arrived at this tournament with a reputation for defensive solidity, but they were torn apart in Los Angeles. That defeat could knock their confidence as they prepare to face Türkiye. The Turks suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to Australia in their opener, but they dominated the game - 63% of the possession, 28 shots on goal, seven shots on target. If they play like that against Paraguay, and they sharpen up their finishing a bit, they should easily win this game.
Morocco were a little unfortunate to only draw 1-1 with a star-studded Brazil team on Matchday 1. The Atlas Lions were vastly superior in the opening stages of that game, and they led 1-0, only for Vinícius Júnior to equalize with a piece of individual brilliance. The game then fizzled out in the second half, but Morocco earned a creditable point. Scotland secured a tense 1-0 win against Haiti in their opener, but Morocco represent a massive step up in quality, and the African champions should win this game.
The USMNT produced a superb performance to beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opener. Striker Folarin Balogun scored twice, and fellow stars Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie also looked lively. They should extend their winning streak when they face Australia. The Socceroos pulled off a shock 2-0 victory over Türkiye on Matchday 1, but they were outplayed for large parts of that game, and they could struggle against this fired-up USA team, which will benefit from home advantage in Seattle.