Carabao Cup First Round · Saturday 8 August, 15:00 BST · Mbanq Valley Parade, Bradford

Season 2026/27 starts for real this weekend, and it starts with a cup tie rather than the league opener everyone's circled. Graham Alexander's side head into it off the back of a fourth-place League One finish last season, before a playoff semi-final exit to eventual winners Bolton Wanderers. Rochdale arrive having already survived one shootout this summer, edging past Tranmere Rovers on penalties in the preliminary round after twice coming from behind, and it's their first appearance in this competition proper since 2023. Kickoff is at Mbanq Valley Parade, with referee Declan Brown in the middle.

Bradford City — the Bantams

The lineup being tipped has Jon McCracken in goal behind a back three of Reece Welch, J. Wright and Macaulay Gillesphey, with Neufville, Henry Cartwright, Adam Phillips and Touray across midfield, and Jake Beesley and Antoni Sarcevic in behind Will Swan in a 3-4-3. It's a side shaped by a busy summer at the back: Gillesphey arrived from Charlton Athletic, and Welch could win his first appearance for the club having only signed his two-year deal this week. Up front, Beesley is in line for his competitive debut too, reuniting with old strike partner Stephen Humphrys after both came through together at Rochdale. George Lapslie is the one absentee, ruled out with a quad strain.

Alexander has this one marked down as a serious fixture rather than a chance to rest players, and the numbers back up why: City have won four of their five pre-season friendlies, with the only defeat coming at Accrington Stanley in July. They reached round three of this competition last season before Newcastle United ended the run 4-1, and their record against Saturday's opponents specifically is spotless, a 5-0 win the last time these two met at this stage back in 2005-06. Bradford have also won every Carabao Cup tie this decade when leading at half-time, including victories over Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City last season, though a home win here would still be only their second at Valley Parade in their last seven League Cup ties. Sarcevic was the club's top league scorer last season with 11 and remains the creative fulcrum in midfield.

Rochdale — Dale

The lineup being tipped has Nils Ramming in goal behind a back four of Adebayo-Rowling, Sherring, Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Bilongo, with Francis and Ryan East holding, Hayes, Gilmour and Zain Silcott-Duberry in support, and Emmanuel Dieseruvwe leading the line in a 4-2-3-1. Ian Watson is still chasing his first normal-time win since taking charge in May, and his side have conceded multiple goals in every match under him so far, so Saturday's trip to a well-drilled Bradford side is a stern early test. Injuries have bitten hard: Will Jenkins is out for the season with a ruptured ACL, Casey Pettit faces several months out with an MCL problem, and Sam Beckwith and Laurence Maguire are both still working their way back, though Kaiden Wilson has returned to training and should be available.

East is the one link between these two clubs currently on Rochdale's books, having made 26 appearances for Bradford in 2022/23 before joining Dale the following August and going on to make 141 appearances of his own, scoring 13 times and playing a part in three promotion campaigns. The history between the sides runs deep too: 100 meetings all told, Bradford winning 49 to Rochdale's 29 with 22 draws, and the two have gone since a 3-3 draw all the way back in November 1927 to work out. Getting through this tie would extend a good recent record in the competition, Rochdale having advanced from their last seven EFL Cup first-round ties and not been eliminated at this stage since a 2014 defeat to Preston North End.

Key Battle

Jake Beesley vs Ethan Ebanks-Landell. If Beesley does start, it's a first competitive appearance against the club that let him leave, and Rochdale's captain at centre-back is the man tasked with making sure it's a forgettable one. Beesley knows this Rochdale defence from the inside; Ebanks-Landell knows exactly the kind of movement he's likely to make.

Prediction

Bradford's home advantage, their spotless history against this opponent, and a Rochdale side still finding its feet defensively under a new head coach all point the same way. Dale showed real character to survive the preliminary round, but doing it again against a full-strength League One side with fresh legs up front is a different proposition. Expect goals at the right end for the hosts, with Beesley given every chance to mark a debut and Swan, City's top scorer in this competition last season, adding to his tally.

Bradford City 2-0 Rochdale — Beesley, Swan

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Spain

vs

Argentina

Final · Sunday 19 July, 20:00 BST · MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

This is it, the World Cup final, and for the first time in the competition's history it's being contested by two reigning continental champions. Spain got here by suffocating France 2-0 in the semifinal, a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty and a Pedro Porro strike enough against a French front four held to 0.31 expected goals, almost identical to the average every one of Spain's opponents has managed against them all tournament. Argentina had it harder, Anthony Gordon's opener for England wiped out by a late Enzo Fernandez equaliser and a Lautaro Martinez header, both created by Lionel Messi. The stakes barely need spelling out: Argentina can become the first side since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup, while Spain, unbeaten in 37 straight games since losing to Colombia back in March 2024, would set the longest unbeaten run in senior men's football history with victory, on top of holding the World Cup and European Championship at the same time.

Spain — La Roja

The predicted XI has Unai Simon in goal behind a back four of Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi and Pedro Porro, with Fabian Ruiz, Rodri and Dani Olmo across midfield, and Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal across the front in a 4-3-3. Porro's own label didn't come through clearly on the graphic, but he's started every game this tournament and there's no real doubt he lines up at right-back again. It's the same XI that beat France, with Pedri still among the substitutes. Yamal was seen with a bandage on his leg in Thursday's training and Porro sat that session out with muscular fatigue, but neither is considered a doubt and both are expected to start.

Spain have kept six clean sheets, a new record for a single World Cup, and have now gone six games without conceding more than once. They're unbeaten in 37 straight matches stretching back to that March 2024 loss to Colombia, and a win here would hand them the longest unbeaten run in senior men's football history, overtaking Italy's Euro 2020-winning side. Luis de la Fuente would also make Spain the first side to hold the World Cup and European Championship at the same time since their own golden generation won both under Vicente del Bosque back in 2010 and 2012.

Argentina — La Albiceleste

The predicted XI has Emiliano Martinez in goal behind a back four of Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero and Nahuel Molina, with Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul across a flat midfield four, and Lionel Messi partnering Julian Alvarez up front in a 4-4-2. Molina struggled against Djed Spence and Anthony Gordon in the semifinal, and there's a genuine chance Scaloni turns to Gonzalo Montiel in his place, so that's worth double-checking closer to kickoff. De Paul is back in for Giuliano Simeone after a quiet outing against England, and Lautaro Martinez again drops to the bench with Alvarez preferred alongside Messi. Romero and Paredes both recovered from cramp issues in time to start the semifinal, and Argentina have a fully fit squad of 26 to choose from.

Messi and company have scored 19 goals this tournament, Argentina's best return at a single World Cup, beating the 18 they managed as runners-up back in 1930. They've scored at least twice in every match, but they've also conceded in each of their last five games, and Spain's defense is the sternest test of that run by some distance. Win this and Argentina retain the trophy and complete a run of four straight major-tournament titles going back to the 2021 Copa America, a feat no nation has ever managed. They've lost three of their last four meetings with Spain this century, including a 6-1 friendly defeat in 2018, though nobody expects a repeat of that scoreline with the World Cup on the line.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Lamine Yamal vs Nicolas Tagliafico. Yamal drifting inside off the right onto his favoured left foot has been Spain's single biggest source of danger all tournament, and it's Tagliafico's job to stop him getting there. Win that one-on-one consistently and Argentina cut off Spain's most direct route to goal; lose it, and Yamal is exactly the kind of player who wins finals.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 45.0% chance of winning in 90 minutes, the largest single outcome, with a draw on 29.0% and Argentina on 26.0%. Zoomed out to the tournament as a whole, accounting for extra time and penalties, Spain are rated 59.6% to lift the trophy against Argentina's 40.4%. Spain's defense has been the standout of the competition, while Argentina's has leaked goals in five straight games, and that gap feels like the difference here. Messi is still capable of deciding a final on his own, and Argentina will get their moments, but Spain's control and their habit of protecting a lead rather than inviting pressure should be enough. Yamal finally getting his goal on the biggest stage feels overdue.

Spain 2-0 Argentina — Yamal, Oyarzabal

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

France

vs

England

Third-Place Play-off · Saturday 18 July, 22:00 BST · Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Third place, the prize neither dressing room actually wanted before Tuesday and Wednesday night put them here. France's own final hopes were smothered 2-0 by Spain, with Kylian Mbappe and the rest of the front four managing a miserable 0.31 expected goals between them, while England's lead through Anthony Gordon unraveled as Lionel Messi teed up Enzo Fernandez and Lautaro Martinez in a 2-1 defeat to Argentina. Thomas Tuchel didn't pretend otherwise afterward, saying plainly that none of his players or France's wanted this fixture. Didier Deschamps, taking charge for a 187th and final time as France boss with more wins than any manager in the country's history, will at least be trying to find something to play for. Kickoff is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

France — Les Bleus

The predicted XI has Mike Maignan in goal behind a back four of Lucas Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix and Malo Gusto, with N'Golo Kante and Warren Zaire-Emery holding, and Maghnes Akliouche, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Thuram in behind Kylian Mbappe in a 4-2-3-1. It's a heavily changed side built around two enforced absences: William Saliba was withdrawn early against Spain with a recurrence of his back trouble and takes no part here, and back-up keeper Brice Samba is also out with a calf problem, though that one barely affects the XI itself since Maignan was always going to start. Other reports still have Jules Kounde and Theo Hernandez in the back four rather than Lucas Hernandez and Gusto, so the exact makeup there is genuinely up in the air.

Mbappe has every reason to still care about this one even with the trophy gone: he and Messi go into the weekend level on eight goals in the race for the Golden Boot, and a big night in Miami is his last chance to pull clear of it. He's also up to 20 goals across his World Cup career, second only to Messi's 21 all time, though that particular record is unlikely to fall this summer. France are playing in the third-place match for a fourth time, and the previous three produced at least five goals apiece: a 6-3 win over West Germany in 1958, defeat to Poland in 1982, and victory over Belgium in 1986. It's also their first appearance in this fixture since that 1986 win.

England — the Three Lions

The predicted XI has Dean Henderson in goal behind a back four of Nico O'Reilly, John Stones, Ezri Konsa and Jarell Quansah, with Jude Bellingham, Kobbie Mainoo and Eberechi Eze across midfield, and Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Noni Madueke across the front in a 4-3-3. Mainoo's spot is the one worth watching: he's fallen so far out of favour under Tuchel that it wouldn't be a total shock to see almost anyone else try their hand in there instead, up to and including the injured Jordan Henderson or even goalkeeper Dean Henderson pulling on a pair of outfield boots. That's a far heavier turnover than other outlets are predicting, who mostly have Tuchel naming something close to his strongest available XI with Jordan Pickford in goal and Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson screening the back four, so it's genuinely worth checking closer to kickoff whether Tuchel goes this light or tries to salvage some pride instead. Reece James is out again with a muscular problem picked up against Argentina, and Jordan Henderson remains sidelined with his wrist injury, while Quansah returns having served his two-match ban. There's also a disciplinary cloud hanging over Bellingham, who was filmed catching Valentin Barco round the head during Argentina's celebrations, so his involvement here isn't entirely guaranteed either.

Kane sits on 14 World Cup goals, level with Gerd Muller for fifth on the all-time list, and one more would draw him level with Ronaldo Nazario on 15. Given his age, this could realistically be his last World Cup appearance, so there's extra incentive to mark it. England have lost both of their previous third-place play-offs, 2-1 to Italy in 1990 and 2-0 to Belgium in 2018, with only Uruguay losing more of these matches. Their head-to-head record against France isn't much comfort either: just one win in the last nine meetings, and winless in four competitive games since 1982.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Kylian Mbappe vs John Stones. Stones is one of four changed faces in an England back line that's had barely any time together, and he's the one most likely to find himself isolated against Mbappe in transition. Get tight early and force him wide, and England have a chance of keeping this respectable; give him the half-yard he needs to run in behind, and it could be a long night for a defense that's never played as a unit before.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives France a 50.7% chance of winning in 90 minutes, the largest single outcome of any match previewed this tournament, with England at 25.6% and a draw on 23.7%. France have the extra rest day, a settled goalkeeper and captain, and a forward in Mbappe with a genuine personal reason to perform, while England's much-changed XI, built around a back-up keeper and a patched-together back four, points to a difficult night regardless of how much effort goes in. Mbappe should have the game to add to his Golden Boot tally, and with Cherki given license to create in behind him, France's extra continuity should tell. Kane chasing his own piece of history feels like England's best route to any reply at all.

France 3-1 England — Mbappe (2), Cherki; Kane

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

England

vs

Argentina

Semifinal · Wednesday 15 July, 20:00 BST · Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

England and Argentina renew one of football's oldest rivalries with a place in Sunday's final at stake, forty years on from Diego Maradona's Hand of God and Goal of the Century in the 1986 quarterfinal. England needed extra time to see off Norway in Miami, Jude Bellingham scoring both goals, while Argentina survived a battle of their own, Julian Alvarez's extra-time strike eventually seeing off ten-man Switzerland after Dan Ndoye had cancelled out Alexis Mac Allister's opener. There's history on the line for the managers too: win this and Thomas Tuchel becomes only the fourth man to reach a World Cup final with a foreign nation, and the first since Ernst Happel did it with the Netherlands back in 1978, while Lionel Scaloni could become only the second Argentina boss, after Carlos Bilardo, to reach two finals. The winner meets Spain, who saw off France in Tuesday's other semifinal, in Sunday's final.

England — the Three Lions

The predicted XI has Jordan Pickford in goal behind a back four of Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi, John Stones and Ezri Konsa, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson holding, and Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka in behind Harry Kane in a 4-2-3-1. It's the same XI that started the extra-time win over Norway with one change: Stones comes in for Djed Spence, with Reece James and the now-available-again Jarell Quansah still waiting for their chance off the bench. Stones carries the lowest confidence rating of the group after looking uncomfortable late on against Norway, but the word from inside the camp is that it was nothing more than cramp and he trained fully this week.

Kane and Bellingham both sit on six goals, the first time in World Cup history two players from the same country have reached that mark in the same tournament, and Kane's 121st cap would be the most ever by an England outfield player, second only to Peter Shilton's overall goalkeeping record. Gordon attempted ten dribbles against Norway, the most by an England player in a World Cup match since Darius Vassell back in 2002, and Saka's assist numbers this summer are the best of any Three Lions player at a single tournament since 1966. England have lost just twice in fourteen meetings with Argentina, and haven't been beaten in normal time in any of their last five, the solitary blip being the penalty shootout exit at France '98.

Argentina — La Albiceleste

The predicted XI has Emiliano Martinez in goal behind a back four of Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez and Nicolas Tagliafico, with Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul across a flat midfield four, and Lionel Messi partnering Julian Alvarez up front in a 4-4-2. It's an unchanged XI from the Switzerland win, and the doubt hanging over the last preview has settled itself: it's Alvarez starting alongside Messi again rather than Lautaro Martinez, who has to make do with a place on the bench.

Argentina have scored seventeen goals this tournament, the most of any side left in the competition and just one short of the eighteen they managed at the very first World Cup back in 1930. Messi has eight of them, level with Mbappe at the top of the Golden Boot race, and this will be Argentina's sixth World Cup semifinal, having progressed from every single one of the previous five. Scaloni has now led this squad to six straight wins at this tournament, their longest winning run at a single World Cup in the nation's history, and victory here puts him one game from joining Bilardo as the only Argentina manager to reach two finals.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Lionel Messi vs Declan Rice. Everything Argentina do funnels through the pockets of space between England's lines, and it's Rice's job, more than anyone's, to make sure Messi never gets time on the ball there. Give him a yard and he still picks the pass or the shot that decides a game on his own; crowd him early and Argentina's attack can go quiet for long spells, as Switzerland found out right up until their sending-off changed everything. How well Rice reads that moment could be the difference between a final and an early flight home.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives England a 38.2% chance of winning in 90 minutes, the largest single outcome but only just, with Argentina on 32.0% and a draw on 29.7%, both the tightest split and the highest draw probability of any match previewed this tournament. Argentina have scored at least three goals in each of their last four matches, so keeping them out entirely feels unlikely, but England's set-piece threat, with Rice's delivery and both Kane and Stones dangerous in the air, gives them a route past a defense that's been breached in every knockout game so far. Kane should add to his tally regardless, and with Bellingham in the kind of form that's produced a brace in each of his last two outings, England's greater squad depth this deep into the tournament should just about see them through, though Messi finding a way to add to Argentina's own tally feels close to guaranteed.

England 3-2 Argentina — Bellingham, Kane (2); Messi, Alvarez

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

France

vs

Spain

Semifinal · Tuesday 14 July, 02:00 BST · AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

France eased past Morocco 2-0 to reach a third straight World Cup semifinal, while Spain needed a stoppage-time Mikel Merino goal, and a spell of chaos after Thibaut Courtois went off injured, to edge past Belgium. Plenty are already calling this the true final: France's front four against a Spain side that has conceded once all tournament, and it doubles as Didier Deschamps's last stand, his 26th match in charge at a World Cup, breaking Helmut Schon's old record, in what is his final tournament after 14 years as manager. The winner meets England or Argentina on Sunday.

France — Les Bleus

The predicted XI has Mike Maignan in goal behind a back four of Lucas Digne, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Jules Kounde, with Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni holding, and Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue in behind Kylian Mbappe in a 4-2-3-1. Tchouameni is genuinely touch and go with a thigh issue and remains a game-time call, with Manu Kone the direct alternative if he isn't risked from the start, so that's worth double-checking closer to kickoff. Doue's own spot is also live, with Bradley Barcola the alternative on the left, and Deschamps isn't expected to confirm which of the two starts until the morning of the game.

Mbappe was withdrawn in the second half against Morocco with an ankle sprain but is expected to be fine to start, and he now has eight goals this tournament, level with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race after his goal in the quarterfinal. Dembele and Mbappe have combined for 19 created chances between them this summer, and with Olise continuing to break tournament creativity records from the other side, France's front four is the most dangerous grouping left in the competition on paper. France have also reached all four of their last World Cup semifinals, winning the last three without conceding.

Spain — La Roja

The predicted XI has Unai Simon in goal behind a back four of Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi and Pedro Porro, with Fabian Ruiz, Rodri and Dani Olmo across midfield, and Nico Williams, Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal across the front in a 4-3-3. The back four picks itself again, but other outlets see it differently further forward, predicting Pedri back in for Ruiz and Alex Baena preferred to Williams instead. There's also a growing case being made for Merino to start outright after becoming the first player in World Cup history to score a knockout-round winner as a substitute in back-to-back ties.

Reaching the semifinal was the target set before a ball was kicked, and Spain have got there playing the most cohesive, possession-dominant football of any side left in the tournament. They had gone six games without conceding before Belgium's Charles De Ketelaere finally got one past them, and are unbeaten in 36 matches outside of shootouts, one short of Argentina's all-time record. Penalties are the one blemish: Spain have won just once in five World Cup shootouts and lost last year's Nations League final on spot kicks.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Rodri vs Aurelien Tchouameni. This is the zone that decides the game: if Rodri sets the tempo unchallenged, Spain can pull France's block around until it cracks, but Tchouameni is exactly the kind of ball-winner built to stop that happening. His fitness is the whole tie in miniature. If he's right, France get the platform to break at pace; if he isn't, Spain's control could be difficult to interrupt for long spells.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives France a 43.9% chance of winning in 90 minutes, the largest single outcome but the tightest split of any match previewed so far, with Spain on 29.0% and a draw on 27.1%. This is genuinely attack against defense: France have the individual quality to break down anyone, but Spain have conceded only once all tournament and rarely give anything away cheaply, and their own strength through the middle is exactly the kind of test France's pivot hasn't faced yet. Mbappe feels overdue extending his Golden Boot lead rather than just matching it, and with Olise offering a second source of goals, France's greater individual quality in the final third should just about be enough, though Spain's habit of finding a substitute match-winner in Merino makes a reply from the bench a real possibility.

France 2-1 Spain — Mbappe, Olise; Merino

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

Argentina

vs

Switzerland

Quarterfinal · Sunday 12 July, 02:00 BST · Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Argentina trailed Egypt 2-0 with eleven minutes left and still won it, Cristian Romero, Messi and Enzo Fernandez scoring three times inside thirteen frantic minutes. Switzerland went the other way entirely, offering Colombia almost nothing in 120 goalless minutes before Gregor Kobel saved a penalty in the shootout and Ruben Vargas converted the winner, sending them into their first World Cup quarterfinal since 1954. Neither side has lost in regulation at this tournament, and one of those streaks ends in Kansas City. The winner meets Norway or England in the semifinal.

Argentina — La Albiceleste

The predicted XI has Emiliano Martinez in goal behind a back four of Nicolas Tagliafico, Lisandro Martinez, Cristian Romero and Nahuel Molina, with Leandro Paredes, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister and Rodrigo De Paul across a flat midfield four, and Lionel Messi partnering Julian Alvarez up front in a 4-4-2. There's no fresh team news out of the Argentina camp this week, and this is the same shape and personnel that started against Egypt. Some outlets have pencilled in Lautaro Martinez alongside Messi instead of Alvarez, but the version here keeps faith with the pairing that got them through the last round.

Messi has eight goals so far, the most of anyone in the competition, and Argentina are unbeaten in eleven straight World Cup matches since their opening defeat to Saudi Arabia at Qatar 2022, scoring at least twice in every one of them. Two comebacks in two knockout games have shown a side that doesn't always play well but refuses to stop, with Emiliano Martinez the calm presence behind it all.

Switzerland — the Nati

The predicted XI has Gregor Kobel in goal behind a back four of Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi and Denis Zakaria, with Ruben Vargas, Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler across midfield, and Dan Ndoye, Breel Embolo and Fabian Rieder across the front in a 4-3-3. Coach Murat Yakin has given up on getting Johan Manzambi fit in time, so Rieder comes in on the right of the front three, with Vargas dropping back into the midfield three alongside Xhaka and Freuler rather than staying advanced. Zakaria continues at right-back ahead of Luca Jaquez, though Yakin isn't fully sold on the conversion and it's worth double-checking that spot closer to kickoff. Ardon Jashari has lost his place entirely after a poor showing against Colombia that saw him hauled off at half-time, while Michel Aebischer is also out of favour and carrying a minor injury.

Kobel was the reason Switzerland got here at all, saving Cucho Hernandez's penalty in the shootout before Vargas won it, and he's arguably the tournament's outstanding goalkeeper alongside his opposite number on Sunday. Switzerland were excellent defensively against Colombia but offered almost nothing going forward, especially after Embolo was withdrawn, and with their most creative outlet in Manzambi unavailable, that attacking toothlessness looks like the bigger concern against opposition this much sharper.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Lionel Messi vs Granit Xhaka. Xhaka's job is denying Messi the room to turn and face goal in central areas, the way Switzerland managed for long stretches against a similarly patient Colombia side. Messi with his back to goal against a well-set block is dangerous but containable; Messi facing forward in transition is a different problem entirely, and how well Xhaka reads that moment could decide the game.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Argentina a 57.1% chance of winning in 90 minutes, comfortably the largest single outcome, with a draw on 24.2% and Switzerland winning outright just 18.7% of the time. Switzerland's defensive record this tournament is genuinely elite, but their attack now goes into a quarterfinal with a converted right-back still bedding in, a discarded double pivot option in Jashari, and Manzambi, their most inventive player, missing entirely. Messi remains the surest source of a moment of quality on the pitch, and with Argentina's pattern of finding a way even when the football isn't pretty, a single goal from him feels like the most likely route through a tight, low-scoring game.

Argentina 1-0 Switzerland — Messi

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

Norway

vs

England

Quarterfinal · Saturday 11 July, 22:00 BST · Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

Norway are in uncharted territory, a first World Cup quarterfinal in their history arriving off the back of a stunning 2-1 upset of Brazil. England got here the hard way too, riding out a 3-2 thriller in Mexico City with ten men for the closing stages. Opta rates this the most evenly matched tie of the round, and the head-to-head backs that up: Norway have won just two of twelve meetings with England and haven't scored against them in four straight. The winner meets Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinal.

Norway — the Boys in Red

The predicted XI has Orjan Haskjold Nyland in goal behind a back four of David Moller Wolfe, Torbjorn Heggem, Kristoffer Vassbakk Ajer and Julian Ryerson, with Martin Odegaard, Sander Berge and Patrick Berg across midfield, and Andreas Schjelderup, Erling Haaland and Alexander Sorloth across the front in a 4-3-3. Other outlets have Solbakken going a different way entirely, dropping Sorloth for Oscar Bobb and shifting to a 4-2-3-1 with Odegaard pushed higher as one of three attacking midfielders and Berge-Berg holding as a double pivot, so the exact shape is worth double-checking closer to kickoff. Wolfe was forced off late against Brazil but has trained fully since and isn't a fitness concern, while Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed out with illness and should be available again from the bench.

Haaland is the story regardless of the exact shape around him. He has scored in 14 straight competitive games for Norway, 27 goals in that run, and has found the net in all four of his World Cup appearances so far at a 39% shot-conversion rate, the best of anyone with 15-plus attempts at the tournament since Gary Lineker in 1986. Norway have scored 12 and conceded nine across their five games, a swashbuckling record matched at this stage only by West Germany's eventual 1954 champions.

England — the Three Lions

The predicted XI keeps Jordan Pickford in goal behind a back four of Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi, Ezri Konsa and Djed Spence, with Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson screening in front of them, and Anthony Gordon, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka in behind Harry Kane in a 4-2-3-1. Guehi and Spence both carry a bit of fitness uncertainty into this one, a hamstring strain for Guehi and a recent return to full training for Spence, while Rice has been managing a minor illness. All three are expected to be fine for kickoff. Jarell Quansah misses out through suspension after his red card against Mexico, and Jordan Henderson is out for the rest of the tournament after an odd fall into the advertising boards during the celebrations.

Kane sits one goal behind Haaland in the Golden Boot race on six, matching his own tally from 2018 and Gary Lineker's 1986 haul, and he has scored in 11 of his last 12 knockout games at major tournaments. Bellingham has four goals of his own after a brace against Mexico, already the most an England midfielder has managed at a single World Cup. England's h2h record over Norway is strong, but their form against European opposition at this stage isn't: they've been knocked out by a European side in five of their last six World Cup knockout games, including each of the last three, last time a 2-1 defeat to France in the 2022 quarterfinal.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Erling Haaland vs Jordan Pickford. This is personal history as much as tactics: Haaland has scored more Premier League goals against Pickford than against every goalkeeper he's faced except three, converting seven of the ten shots on target he's put on Pickford's goal down the years. Pickford will know exactly what's coming and still might not be able to stop it.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives England a 50.4% chance of winning in 90 minutes, comfortably the largest single outcome, with Norway next most likely at 25.1% and a draw on 24.6%, figures Opta itself flags as the closest of any quarterfinal this round. Both sides have leaked goals all tournament while scoring freely at the other end, and with Haaland and Kane both in career-defining form, a tight, low-margin game feels less likely than an open one. Haaland's history against Pickford specifically points to another goal or two for him, but Kane, Bellingham and England's greater squad depth in the final third should just about see them through.

Norway 2-3 England — Haaland (2); Kane, Bellingham, Saka

⚽ Don't forget to submit your prediction at bantamtalk.com/predictionleague before kickoff!

Spain

vs

Belgium

Quarterfinal · Friday 10 July, 20:00 BST · SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles

Spain needed a stoppage-time substitute goal to get past Portugal, Mikel Merino pouncing in the first minute of added time to end Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup for good. Belgium needed nothing of the sort, tearing the USA apart 4-1 in Seattle just hours after the Folarin Balogun saga had dominated the build-up. Both sides arrive in Los Angeles unbeaten across a combined eleven matches, and the winner meets France or Morocco in the semifinal.

Spain — La Roja

The predicted XI has Unai Simon in goal behind a back four of Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi and Pedro Porro, with Pedri, Rodri and Dani Olmo across midfield, and Alex Baena, Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal across the front in a 4-3-3. It's the same shape and largely the same names that got past Portugal, with Nico Williams and Yeremy Pino both still short of full fitness and Baena continuing to deputise on the left in Williams' absence.

Spain still haven't conceded at this World Cup: six clean sheets in six games, more than 10 hours without letting anyone score, and Rodri screening in front of the back four has been the biggest reason why. Oyarzabal has racked up 23 goal involvements across his last 17 caps, while Yamal is still waiting for the signature moment his tournament hasn't quite produced yet. Spain have also won nine of their last eleven meetings with Belgium.

Belgium — the Red Devils

The predicted XI keeps Thibaut Courtois in goal behind an unchanged back four of Maxim De Cuyper, Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy and Timothy Castagne, with Nicolas Raskin and Youri Tielemans forming the double pivot, Leandro Trossard, Hans Vanaken and Dodi Lukebakio in behind Charles De Ketelaere in a 4-2-3-1. That leaves out Kevin De Bruyne entirely, even though he was rested rather than dropped against the USA and both RotoWire and SportsMole expect him to reclaim a starting spot for a game this size, so that's worth double-checking closer to kickoff. Amadou Onana's tournament ended with a torn ACL against the USA, which is the reason the midfield picture is unsettled in the first place, and Zeno Debast remains short of full fitness among the bench options.

De Ketelaere scored twice in the demolition of the USA with Vanaken adding a third, and Romelu Lukaku has now scored in three straight games as a substitute. That's a genuine weapon for coach Rudi Garcia to turn to if the game is still there to be won late. Belgium are unbeaten in 18 matches and have scored more than 2.5 goals per game at this World Cup, a run few predicted after their group-stage exit four years ago.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Rodri vs Youri Tielemans. Rodri has been quietly excellent all tournament and reportedly produced his best individual display yet against Portugal, dictating tempo and screening the back four in the same breath. Tielemans is the man Belgium will lean on to match him in that same zone, and whoever wins the battle for the middle of the pitch should decide how much either forward line actually gets to see of the opposition goal.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives Spain a 59.3% chance of winning in 90 minutes, comfortably the largest single outcome, with a draw on 22.4% and Belgium winning outright just 18.3% of the time. Spain's own attack has been pragmatic rather than prolific all tournament, a single stoppage-time goal enough to see off Portugal, but their defense is the headline here: six clean sheets in six games is a different proposition to anything Belgium have faced, and Belgium's form before the USA rout was patchy enough that one big performance shouldn't be mistaken for a settled trend. De Ketelaere's form is the clearest route to a Belgium goal, and Yamal feels overdue the moment his tournament hasn't quite produced yet at the other end.

Spain 2-1 Belgium — Oyarzabal, Yamal; De Ketelaere

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France

vs

Morocco

Quarterfinal · Thursday 9 July, 21:00 BST · Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

This is a rematch of the 2022 semifinal, when France beat Morocco 2-0 in Qatar to end the Atlas Lions' famous run and reach the final. Four years on, Morocco are back in the last eight having gone unbeaten through their opening five games at a World Cup for the second tournament running, a feat no other African nation has managed even once. France, chasing a third straight semifinal, have needed late moments to get here themselves, needing a 70th-minute Kylian Mbappe penalty to see off a stubborn Paraguay. The winner meets Spain or Belgium in the last four.

France — Les Bleus

The predicted XI has Mike Maignan in goal behind a back four of Lucas Digne, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and Jules Kounde, with Adrien Rabiot, Michael Olise and Manu Kone across midfield, and Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele across the front in a 4-3-3. Aurelien Tchouameni is the biggest selection story here: he wasn't expected to train again until Wednesday, and this lineup has him missing out again after sitting out the Paraguay game, so it's worth double-checking his status closer to kickoff in case he forces his way back in. Marcus Thuram is back in the squad after his own injury, and Digne looks to have won the left-back battle with Theo Hernandez, while Barcola keeps his place ahead of Desire Doue for now.

Mbappe leads from the front on seven goals this tournament, level with Erling Haaland and one behind Messi's eight in a tight Golden Boot race. He has also created 12 chances and made two assists, while Olise has been the tournament's standout creator, becoming the first player since Brazil's Zico in 1978 to complete 10 or more dribbles, create 10 or more chances in open play, and make 10 or more through balls in his debut World Cup. France have won 11 of their last 12 competitive matches, seven in a row, and have not strung together eight straight since 2002 to 2004.

Morocco — the Atlas Lions

The predicted XI keeps faith with the shape that saw off Canada: Yassine Bounou in goal, a back four of Noussair Mazraoui, Chadi Riad, Issa Diop and Achraf Hakimi, a double pivot of Ayoub Bouaddi and Neil El Aynaoui, and Bilal El Khannouss, Azzedine Ounahi and Brahim Diaz in behind Soufiane Rahimi in a 4-2-3-1. Ismael Saibari is the notable absence up front after his hamstring injury against Canada, with Rahimi, who scored off the bench in that game, stepping in. Riad is passed fit enough to continue after missing the last round with a knee issue, though he's the one place in this XI still worth a final check.

Ounahi is the player in form, his second-half brace having turned the Canada tie in Morocco's favour, and his movement between the lines gives coach Mohamed Ouahbi a genuine creative and goalscoring threat. Diaz already holds the all-time African record for World Cup assists and has been directly involved in more goals than any other Moroccan player since last year's Africa Cup of Nations, while Hakimi has created more chances than any other defender across the last two World Cups. Morocco arrive on a 34-match unbeaten run stretching back to January's Africa Cup of Nations final.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Azzedine Ounahi vs Manu Kone. Ounahi does his best work receiving between the lines and turning before a midfielder can close him down, and that is exactly the kind of shadow striker that Tchouameni would normally be trusted to eliminate. With him missing, it falls to Kone to deny Ounahi the space he found repeatedly against Canada and the Netherlands, and how well he does that could decide how much Morocco threaten in behind France's high line.

Prediction

The Opta supercomputer gives France a 61.7% chance of winning in 90 minutes, comfortably the largest single outcome, with a draw on 22.1% and Morocco winning outright just 16.2% of the time. Morocco's defensive record this tournament, including seeing off the Netherlands without conceding in normal time, suggests this won't be the free-scoring afternoon France's squad depth might promise elsewhere, and Les Bleus have needed a late moment to break down a well-organised defence in each of their last two knockout games. Mbappe feels overdue the goal that draws him level with Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race, and a single moment of quality from him looks the most likely way this stays goalless for long spells before France edge it.

France 1-0 Morocco — Mbappe

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Switzerland

vs

Colombia

Round of 16 · Tuesday 7 July, 21:00 BST · BC Place, Vancouver

The last tie of the round is also one of the hardest to call. Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 without much fuss to reach the last 16, while Colombia edged Ghana 1-0 through Jhon Arias. Neither side has been spectacular so far, but both are one win away from uncharted territory: Switzerland have not reached a World Cup quarterfinal since 1954, and Colombia have only got there once, in 2014. The winner meets Argentina or Egypt in Kansas City.

Switzerland — the Nati

The predicted XI has Gregor Kobel in goal behind a back four of Ricardo Rodriguez, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi and Denis Zakaria, with Ruben Vargas, Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler across midfield, and Dan Ndoye, Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi across the front in a 4-3-3. Zakaria is the one to watch: he's been converted from central midfield to right-back over the last couple of weeks, and only just gets the nod there ahead of the returning Silvan Widmer and Luca Jaquez, who has also been tried in the role. Michel Aebischer has lost his place entirely, with Vargas and Manzambi both in form enough to keep him on the bench.

Manzambi has been the story of Switzerland's tournament, arriving from relative obscurity to become Murat Yakin's most reliable source of creativity, while Xhaka continues to set the tone from deep. Switzerland have won three straight since an opening draw with Qatar and have not conceded more than once in any game this summer.

Colombia — Los Cafeteros

James Rodriguez remains the biggest name in the squad even after a quiet tournament, and the predicted lineup has him continuing in a 4-4-2 alongside Camilo Vargas in goal, a back four of Johan Mojica, Davinson Sanchez, Jhon Lucumi and Daniel Munoz, and a midfield of Jefferson Lerma, Rodriguez, Gustavo Puerta and Jhon Arias behind Luis Diaz and Luis Suarez up front.

Rodriguez was hooked at half-time against Ghana for tactical reasons rather than injury, with Richard Rios impressing after coming on, and he still has zero goals and zero assists in four games at what was billed as his farewell tournament. His set-piece delivery keeps him relevant regardless. Suarez steps in for the injured Jhon Cordoba, who is out for the rest of the tournament, having already scored an assist within six minutes of coming off the bench against Ghana. Colombia have kept clean sheets in three straight and have conceded only once all tournament.

Predicted Lineups

Key Battle

Daniel Munoz vs Ruben Vargas. Munoz's overlapping runs from right-back have been Colombia's most consistent source of width all tournament, and he'll come up directly against Vargas, who provides the same threat in the opposite direction for Switzerland. Whichever side wins the battle for that flank should dictate which team does more of the attacking.

Prediction

There's no head-to-head history here and not much separating these two sides on paper. Colombia's route through the bracket gives them a 57.1% chance of advancing to the quarterfinal against Switzerland's 42.9%, largely down to Luis Diaz's ability to create something from nothing against a well-organised Swiss block. Switzerland should make this difficult and might well get a goal of their own through Embolo's aerial threat, but Colombia's extra quality in the final third should just about be enough over 90 minutes.

Switzerland 1-2 Colombia — Embolo; Diaz, Suarez

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