Matchday 1 Guide (14 – 16 June): Top Picks & Budget Alternatives for Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium

By Eduard Bănulescu

The 2026 Fantasy Football World Cup requires colossal levels of concentration. Looking to establish domination? Trying to figure out which of the many available players are best for your selection?

Here are the player cards that I think will do you well in the games scheduled between the 14th of June and the 17th of June. These games include crowd favourites Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, or Egypt.

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World Cup Fantasy Picks: Matchday 1 Guide (June 14–17) – Win XFC Rewards

The Matchday 1 Slate (2/3)

The “Locks” – Players You Need

Spain – Cape Verde

Pound for pound, Spain may just be the best team in this World Cup tournament. That doesn’t automatically mean that the Spaniards are going to win the trophy. But it should mean that their players are going to get you a lot of points in a game like the one against Cape Verde.

There are plenty of strong picks here. Few of them are cheap, even if players like Yamal and N. Williams are likely to be rested here.

Pedri and Ruiz are lock-ins. Porro and Cucurella should see plenty of action down the flanks.

F. Torres, Oyarzabal and Baena are likely to be given a chance in this game, which will serve as a warm-up. All of them will be desperate to take their chance and score goals.

Germany – Curacao

If you’ve watched a lot of Germany in the World Cup, two things will become obvious to you straight away about this one: A. This is not a vintage Germany side, and B. Die Mannschaft will try to score as many goals as possible against Curacao.

This is why tonight you’ll be relying on the Germans. Musiala, Wirtz and Havertz are must-picks. Even Sane (yes, him!) might deserve a shot. Neuer won’t work much here, but should get a clean sheet.

This will also help Kimmich, Tah, and Schlotterbeck, who are likely to get to play 90 minutes, thereby increasing their points tally.

Netherlands – Japan

There’s a mathematician in Germany claiming that he’s worked out how the Netherlands is going to win the World Cup. Math has finally proven to be wrong. I doubt that the Dutch can win this game against Japan.

Still, not picking Van Dijk or Dumfries for such an occasion seems wrong. Goalie Verbruggen is also a sensible choice, as are Van de Ven and Van Hecke. If nothing else, the Netherlands has a great defensive selection on hand.

Meanwhile, I like Kubo, J. Ito, and Ueda for this one. I also think that Kamada and Doan will be essential to the way that the game flows.

Ivory Coast – Ecuador

When asked about my dark horse picks, I rushed to answer Ecuador. Playing Ivory Coast in the first game will certainly prove to be a test.

But, I think that the South Americans are ready. Similarly to the Dutch, they have a great defensive-minded team here. Hincapie, Pacho, and Estupinan are excellent picks. Caicedo can shine on this stage. And, while much has been made of Valencia‘s age, I trust his experience.

There’s some clear flair in this Ivory Coast side. However, this time around, I’d only go for Diomande if no better attacking options were available. The experienced Kessie can also be a backup solution.

The “Enablers” – Players that Might Surprise You

Saudi Arabia – Uruguay

This one’s a game for the football hipsters. And, of course, you’d expect them to recognise a few leftfield fantasy football picks.

Things can change quickly for Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay. On a regular day, however, the midfield trio of Valverde, Ugarte and Bentancur could all deserve a shot. Even Nunez, a striker often criticised for his relaxed demeanour in front of goal, can make the best of this opportunity.

Saudi Arabia has surprised big-name South American teams at the World Cup before. Wing-back Abdulhamid can be a good pick for you. Striker Al-Buraikan can also take his opportunity if he is presented with one.

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

Belgium – Egypt

This may sound like an oversimplification. But Belgium vs. Egypt has the making of a World Cup game that would’ve been a derby four years ago.

Still, experience can go a long way. Courtois is still a fine goalkeeper and worth considering if you can afford him. Better options are, however, available.

Tielemans and Onana are likely to be Belgium’s top players in fantasy football and will likely feel underrated otherwise. Doku is a luxury pick worth, perhaps, taking a risk on.

Egypt is a decent side. El Shenawy and Fatouh might be worth considering.

New Zealand – Iran

It’s a slightly baffling affair for a number of different reasons. Neither of these teams is particularly ready for the game. One of them has been harassed at every step since arriving in North America. The other one is New Zealand.

All things considered, Wood, the most famous player in this game, if fit, can score a lot of points in fantasy football if he scores a few goals.

You’d expect Persian striker Taremi to get a few opportunities of his own against an unconvincing New Zealand squad.

Yes, a lot of question marks hover over this game.

The “Traps” – Players You Should Avoid

Belgium’s team is still full of stars. However, most of them are expensive to pick and injury-prone. Lukaku, De Bruyne, and Meunier may end up having a good game. But, just the same, they could end up walking out of the game injured or carded.

Meanwhile, Trossard is a fine player. However, he’s not one that, in my book, has impressed for Belgium in previous tournaments.

How about Salah, along with Trezeguet and Marmoush, the big stars? You can pick them, sure. But you could get better options for the same budget.

Set-Piece & Penalty Matrix

Set-Piece & Penalty Matrix (June 14–16)

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