Matchday Recap — June 22

Match synthesis:

Erling Haaland continues to do what Erling Haaland does: score goals. The Norwegian goal machine was again at the center of a 3-2 victory over Senegal, helping Norway secure its place in the knockout rounds. Senegal, meanwhile, remain one of the tournament's biggest disappointments. The African champions arrived with expectations of a deep run but now find themselves staring at an early exit after another defeat.

Predictions:

24 of 72 poolsters called the Norway win, and 4 had the score exactly right.

Kudos to (🔥 = hot pick): Colin S, David R, Erica and Fred, Peter Andros

Match synthesis:

France made it two wins from two with a commanding 3-0 victory over Iraq, powered by the familiar brilliance of Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé. Mbappé was at the heart of everything dangerous, stretching the Iraqi defense with his pace and movement before getting on the scoresheet. , meanwhile, was electric down the flank, twisting defenders into knots and creating chances almost at will. Iraq showed spirit and defended bravely for stretches, but the gulf in quality eventually told. Les Bleus controlled possession, dictated the tempo, and rarely looked troubled. With Mbappé and Dembélé in this mood, France are beginning to look every bit like genuine World Cup contenders.

Predictions:

70 of 72 poolsters called the France win, and 31 had the score exactly right.

Kudos to (🔥 = hot pick): Adrian C 🔥, Adrian Lawrence 🔥, Andrew Burke, Catalina S, Cheryl Andros, Damien L 🔥, Daniel H, Duvaughn Henlon, Garold Hamilton, Greg Lawrence, Ian M 🔥, Jakub K 🔥, Jamel Banton 🔥, Joe O'Leary 🔥, Jon Steitz, Kyle Kellier 🔥, Matthew C, Maxwell D 🔥, Mike Davis, Mike H 🔥, Moises R, Nico B 🔥, Patrick Williams, Ran I 🔥, Sarit Dhupa 🔥, Shawn Banton 🔥, Telroy M, Tom Hulme 🔥, Troy Timmons, Warren Graver, Yuval S

Match synthesis:

Another day, another chapter in the legend of Lionel Messi. On the 40th anniversary of Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal, Messi marked the occasion in his own way, scoring both goals in a composed 2-0 victory over Austria. Remarkably, it could have been even more. The little maestro missed a penalty but shrugged it off and simply scored twice from open play instead. The brace saw Messi become the outright leading scorer in World Cup history, adding yet another record to a collection that already seemed impossible to improve upon. Argentina were efficient rather than spectacular, but with Messi pulling the strings, spectacular often feels unnecessary. One internet comment summed up the divergent fortunes of Messi and his long-time rival for world’s best: Argentina without Messi is like Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo. Ouch!

Predictions:

61 of 72 poolsters called the Argentina win, and 12 had the score exactly right.

Kudos to (🔥 = hot pick): Andre Puong 🔥, Andrew R, David R, Duvaughn Henlon, Edward Sharp, Ian M, Lennox J, Matthew C, Moises R, Nique L, Shawn Banton 🔥, Sheldon L

Match synthesis:

Jordan’s World Cup dream is hanging by a thread after a spirited but ultimately painful 2-1 loss to Algeria. The Desert Foxes arrived under pressure after being dismantled by Lionel Messi’s Argentina, and they responded like a side determined to remind everyone of their quality. Jordan matched Algeria for long stretches and refused to be intimidated, battling for every ball and giving their supporters hope with a 1-0 lead. But football can be cruel. Algeria’s greater experience showed in the decisive moments, turning a tight contest in their favor. For Jordan, it is another performance that earned respect but not points. For Algeria, it is a vital victory that keeps qualification hopes alive and sets up a fascinating showdown with Austria. In Group J, everything remains to play for.

Predictions:

54 of 72 poolsters called the Algeria win, and 21 had the score exactly right.

Kudos to (🔥 = hot pick): Adrian C, Adrian Lawrence, Ajani Banton, Alexandre Mayor, Andre Puong, Big Marv 🔥, Brad Murray, Catherine H, Catherine J, Chinwe U, Colin S, Edward Sharp, Eric W, Erica and Fred, Gerald H 🔥, Jon Steitz, Matthew Z 🔥, Mike Davis, Sebastian E, Steven Whittingham, Yuval S