THE final batch of nations finally get their chance to take centre stage at the World Cup, and all eyes will be on England as they look to make a positive start to their campaign in North America.
Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions will look to end their trophy drought and 60 years of hurt, beginning with a tricky clash against Croatia. That follows Portugal’s clash with DR Congo, while Ghana face Panama before Colombia and Uzbekistan complete the opening round of fixtures.
Here, we’ll take a look at the full slate of action, with a Bet Builder for every fixture on the schedule.
Bet Builder of the Day – 17th and 18th June
England vs Croatia | 17 June, 9pm BST | AT&T Stadium | ITV1
England carry the weight of a nation as they look to win the World Cup for the first time since 1966. All the ingredients appear to be in place for Thomas Tuchel’s side to go deep into the tournament following heartbreak in back-to-back European Championship finals.
The Three Lions could lay down an early marker by overcoming familiar foes Croatia in a clash that may prove decisive in the battle for top spot in Group L.
Bet Builder (Betfred):
England to win – The Three Lions qualified with a 100% record, scoring 22 goals and conceding zero goals. England have beaten Croatia in each of their last two matches at Euro 2024 and the Nations League, while Croatia have wobbled at the back in recent times, failing to register a clean sheet in any of their last six.
Harry Kane to score anytime – The Bayern Munich talisman arrives in the form of his life following a clinical campaign in which he fired in 61 goals in 51 appearances – the most by a player from any of Europe’s top 5 leagues.
Marin Pongracic to be carded – The Fiorentina centre-back is a magnet for bookings having collected 17 in 48 club appearances this season, with four bookings arriving in his last six starts for club and country.
➡️ Price: 7/1 at Betfred
Verdict: Croatia remain dangerous opponents, but England appear well equipped to get their World Cup campaign off to a winning start.
Portugal vs DR Congo | 17 June, 6pm BST | NRG Stadium | BBC One
Portugal arrive as one of the tournament favourites, although a third-placed finish in 1966 remains their best World Cup performance. Roberto Martinez’s side have won just one of their last four tournament openers, but boast a squad overflowing with talent, spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is aiming to score at a sixth World Cup.
Bet Builder (Coral):
Cristiano Ronaldo to have two or more shots on target – The Portuguese icon clearly doesn’t need a second invitation to fire an effort towards goal. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner averaged more than two shots on target per game for Al-Nassr this season and had more attempts than any player during European qualification.
Portugal to score over 2.5 goals – Roberto Martinez’s side are perfectly capable of filling their boots against weaker opponents. Portugal have won 10 of their last 13 matches, scoring 35 goals in the process.
Bruno Fernandes to provide one or more assists – The Manchester United playmaker arrives in terrific form. He broke the Premier League assists record for a single season with 21, and has three in his last five for Portugal.
➡️ Price: 11/2 at Coral
Verdict: Portugal’s recent record in World Cup openers is far from convincing, but they should still have enough firepower to get the job done.
Ghana vs Panama | 18 June, 12am BST | BMO Field, Toronto | ITV 1
Ghana arrive at these finals with plenty of questions to answer following a difficult build-up that included a managerial change less than three months before the tournament. Panama, meanwhile, are one of the more settled sides at these finals and will fancy their chances of taking advantage in what looks their most winnable fixture in Group L.
Bet Builder (Playzee):
Over 2.5 goals – There should be no shortage of goals with both sides knowing this is a must-win if they are to advance to the knockout stages. Both are also fairly suspect in defence, with Panama having not managed a clean sheet in any of their last seven games, while Ghana have shipped 13 in their last six.
Antoine Semenyo to score anytime – Undoubtedly the headline act in this showdown, Manchester City’s winger arrives following a 21-goal campaign and should find the target in a game that should yield a handful of goals.
Jerome Opoku to be carded – The Ghana centre-back averaged a card roughly once every three games for Basaksehir this season, with ten received in 36 matches, three of those arriving in his last five appearances.
➡️ Price: 14/1 at Playzee
Verdict: Neither defence inspires complete confidence, which could make this one of the more entertaining games of the opening round.
Uzbekistan vs Colombia | 18 June, 3am BST | Mexico City Stadium | BBC One
It’s been a fairly miserable opening round of fixtures for the South American sides, but Colombia are more than capable of bucking that trend against tournament debutants Uzbekistan.
Only Argentina scored more goals than Colombia during South American qualification, while James Rodriguez and co. will be hoping to carry that momentum into a group that also contains Portugal.
Bet Builder (Betway):
Colombia to score two or more goals – Colombia scored 28 goals during qualification, behind only reigning champions Argentina. They have maintained that attacking threat since then, scoring two or more goals in five of their last eight matches.
Luis Diaz to score anytime – The Bayern Munich star was Colombia’s top scorer in qualification with seven goals, just one behind Argentina’s Lionel Messi. He also arrives after a 26-goal season at club level and has scored three times in his last eight appearances for his country.
James Rodriguez to assist – The former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich playmaker remains Colombia’s chief creator. Rodriguez provided seven assists during qualification and registered further assists in each of his last two appearances before the tournament.
➡️ Price: 5/1 at Betway
Verdict: A positive start is essential with Portugal to come, and Colombia should have enough quality to collect three points.
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About the author
James Anderson
James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Jattvibe. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers, casinos, and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of iGaming and sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.
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