Matchday 1 Guide (16-18 June): Top Picks & Budget Alternatives for France, Norway, England, Portugal Games

By Eduard Bănulescu

Have the hydration breaks driven you mad yet? How about that hyper-generic Shakira song? Well, 2026 Fantasy Football World Cup won’t disappoint. Looking to create a winning team? I have a few suggestions for the final games of Matchday 1.

I’ve assembled a comprehensive list of players from France, Norway, England, Portugal and the rest of the national teams taking part in World Cup games. I’ve also included the likely free-kick and penalty takers, along with the players that you should avoid.

Remember, once you’ve read this, apply the information for your own fantasy team in FootballCoin.

The free FootballCoin contest begins today. You can win daily prizes, and it’ll also count for The Best Manager Challenge decided at the end of the tournament.

World Cup Fantasy Picks: Matchday 1 Guide (June 16–18) – Win XFC Rewards

The Matchday 1 Slate (3/3)

FIFA World Cup 2026™ Match Slate

The “Locks” – Players You Need

France – Senegal

This a rematch of a World Cup and a chance for France to clear its name. On the other hand, these are the real African champions we’re talking about.

There are plenty of players here who can make a good addition to your fantasy football World Cup squad, in my opinion.

Let’s start with the obvious. France will dominate possession, making Olise a worthwhile investment. Rabiot and Tchouameni aren’t the most creative midfielders but will work fine for this game.

Doue is an excellent choice given his price tag. And I’d choose Dembele over Mbappe for this particular encounter.

Senegal’s got a great side. Koulibaly and Camara are brave and experienced. But I really see P. Gueye and Sarr as excellent midfield options.

Mendy is a brilliant choice for keeper, although there’s always some risk when coming up against strikers like Dembele, Doue and Mbappe.

I think that Mane and Jackson can have good World Cup tournaments, but may face tough opposition against France’s defenders in this one.

This could be a classic if it starts going in the first minutes of the game.

Iraq – Norway

Norway has been many people’s “Dark Horse” pick before the tournament started. The Scandinavians were also on my list.

Iraq, on the other hand, did well to qualify. However, in gross terms, the team is an unknown quantity.

What can you extract from these teams? Strikers, mostly. Haaland is a sure pick. Sorloth as well.

Odegaard and Berge, if you can afford them, could add a bit of class. And defenders like Ajer and Ryerson can earn plenty of points from a game like this. Nyland might even get a clean sheet in this one if everything works out, which it should.

Portugal – DR Congo

It’s hard to get a reading on this Portugal side. It contains some of the world’s best midfielders, a few just-alright defenders, and Ronaldo.

DR Congo, however, is back at the World Cup after a lengthy, decades-long absence. Impressively, the team’s secured qualification over the likes of Nigeria.

Record-chasing Ronaldo will work to get a few goals in this one. This might be the best opportunity to get the ageing striker in the whole tournament.

And while players may be rested in the second half, picking any midfielder from a list that includes Vitinha, Bernardo, Neves, or Fernandes is a great choice.

Meanwhile, Mbemba, Sadiki, Wissa, Bakambu and Wan-Bissaka can use their experience playing in top leagues against a Portugal team that has often struggled in big occasions like this one.

The “Enablers” – Players that Might Surprise You

Argentina – Algeria

The Argentinians are the World Cup champions. But, even three years ago, many of their players seemed a little old. Plus, this side has a history of losing opening matches.

Still, against Algeria you’re likely to see a lot of running from De Paul, Mac Allister, and Fernandez, who’ll have to make up for Messi‘s lack of speed up and down the lines.

What about Messi? Good investment? Across the whole tournament, yes. However, there’s no reason to assume he’ll work very hard or play the whole game against Algeria. If Lionel Scaloni is to reach the final, he’ll need to carefully manage the on-field time of his older players.

England – Croatia

To my mind, England has the best squad in this World Cup. Yes, even better than France and Spain if you ask me.

But things rarely come easily for the English right away, and Croatia has done well against teams of this calibre in recent years. This, mind you, is an ageing Croatian side, but one used to getting fantastic results.

I’d certainly consider Anderson and Rice for this game, along with defenders Stones and James. Gordon and Madueke could be outside shouts, but there are still questions about selection for Thomas Tuchel.

Meanwhile, Modric and Kovacic nearly always perform well in tournaments like this. Gvardiol and Vuskovic have enough about them to challenge the highly-rated English strikers.

Austria – Jordan

Nobody will ever accuse Austria of being the most entertaining team to watch. But this is a strong team that’s been playing together for years and is led by Ralf Rangnick, a top manager. Victory against Jordan seems likely.

This is why pressing midfielders Sabitzer, Seiwald, and X. Schalger can be good picks. Meanwhile, experienced defenders Alaba, Lienhart and Laimer will see a good deal of the ball and this can raise their points tally in fantasy football contests.

The “Wild Cards” – Players You Don’t Need, but Cannot Rule Out Entirely

Ghana – Panama

With respect to both these sides, it’s unlikely that many European audiences, for example, will forego sleep just to watch it.

Still, Ghana has a few players who will enjoy the chance to play on this stage. Semenyo and Mensah are top of that list.

Panama can also cause a few surprises. If your fantasy football selection is just missing a few players, then defenders Murillo, Cordoba and Andrade could be what you need.

Uzbekistan – Colombia

Uzbekistan is one of the teams I back to do better than most people expect in this World Cup.

Meanwhile, there’s a sense of destiny about this Colombia side. The South Americans won’t win the trophy, but they’re equipped to do something special here.

The player to watch and pick here would be, without question, J. Rodriguez, a forward who always does so well in World Cup tournaments.

Diaz is also in the form of his life. And Suarez fills out a very impressive front line for the Colombians.

Meanwhile, the Uzbeks have two big stars and a lot of team spirit. Khusanov and Shomurodov are the players that can stand out. But make no mistake: Uzbekistan will bring the fight to Colombia.

The “Traps” – Players You Should Avoid

T. Hernandez and Kounde sound like France’s weak points to me. If Senegal has prepared for this game, they’ll let it show.

Lautaro Martinez has been injured for much of the season, and there’s no way of knowing if Alvarez will play in his place. Also, not convinced by Otamendi and Lisandro Martinez‘s ability to avoid mistakes here. And isn’t Molina about a hundred years old?

Kane is always an option, of course, but there may be better options available in Matchday 1. Bellingham might or might not play.

Set-Piece & Penalty Matrix (June 16–18)

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