PrepTuesday, June 16

Matchday 1: France, Argentina, and Norway Enter as Heavy Favourites

⚙ Auto-generated — may contain errors

Group I and J kick off with three lopsided fixtures where the pool has backed the strong favourites—but Senegal's Sadio Mané and Erling Haaland's Norway could flip the script.

The pool is riding chalk hard: 69 of 74 picked France, 72 picked Argentina, and 65 picked Norway, mirroring bookmaker consensus but leaving little room for upsets that could separate the leaderboard early.

France vs Senegal (19:00 UTC) · Group I

**The stakes:** All four teams sit level on zero points in the opening fixture. France can seize early control of the group with three points; Senegal needs at least a draw to stay in touch with the tournament favourites. According to Oddschecker, France are commanding favourites at around 1/3 (1.33), with Senegal out at 9/1 and the draw around 9/2. **Team news & the matchup:** Kylian Mbappé is fit and expected to lead the French attack alongside Marcus Thuram, per reports from Sky Sports. Senegal counter with Sadio Mané—still their talisman at 34—and Ismaïla Sarr on the wings; BBC Sport notes manager Aliou Cissé will deploy a compact 4-2-3-1 to absorb pressure and spring breaks. France's midfield trio of Tchouaméni, Camavinga, and Griezmann should dominate possession, but Senegal's athleticism and organisation make them dangerous on transitions. **Pool read:** 69 of you backed France (2–1 the most popular scoreline with 30 picks, followed by 2–0 with 21), only two brave souls took Senegal, and three called the draw. The market and the pool are aligned: France should win, but Senegal have the weapons to punish complacency.

Iraq vs Norway (22:00 UTC) · Group I

**The stakes:** The Group I nightcap. Norway can lay down a marker and put pressure on France with a win; Iraq—massive underdogs in the group—need points from either Norway or Senegal to harbour any knockout hopes. Bet365 lists Norway around 4/9 (1.44) favourites, Iraq at 6/1, and the draw near 3/1, per Oddschecker aggregation. **Team news & the matchup:** Erling Haaland has scored 18 goals in his last 14 internationals, according to ESPN, and will spearhead Norway's attack supported by Martin Ødegaard's creativity from midfield. The Guardian reports Iraq will field a defensive setup anchored by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan and aim to frustrate the Norwegians, relying on set-pieces and veteran striker Aymen Hussein for chances. Norway's pace and physicality—especially from Alexander Sørloth wide—should wear down Iraq's backline, but the Asian side has shown discipline in recent qualifiers. **Pool read:** 65 of 74 picked Norway (0–2 the top call with 22, then 0–3 with 11), just one optimist backed Iraq, and eight hedged with a draw. The market agrees this is Norway's to lose, and Haaland's form makes a comfortable win the likeliest outcome.

Argentina vs Algeria (01:00 UTC) · Group J

**The stakes:** Group J's opener. Argentina—world champions and tournament heavyweights—can take command with a win; Algeria need a result to avoid playing catch-up against Austria and Jordan. Oddschecker shows Argentina at prohibitive 2/9 (1.22) odds, with Algeria around 11/1 and the draw 5/1. **Team news & the matchup:** Lionel Messi, now 38, remains Argentina's conductor; Reuters confirms he'll start in the No. 10 role behind Lautaro Martínez and Julián Álvarez. Algeria's defence, led by Ramy Bensebaini, will sit deep and try to limit space, but The Athletic notes their attacking threat has waned since Riyad Mahrez's international retirement—wingers Youcef Belaïli and Anis Slimani offer pace but lack consistent end product. Argentina's midfield depth (Enzo Fernández, Alexis Mac Allister, Rodrigo De Paul) should control the tempo and create chances; the question is margin, not outcome. **Pool read:** 72 of 74 backed Argentina (2–0 the runaway favourite with 37 picks, then 3–0 with 11), two called a draw, and zero picked Algeria. The market and the pool are in lockstep: Argentina are overwhelming favourites, and anything but a comfortable win would be a seismic shock on Matchday 1.

▸Sources (24)