Things are about to get a lot tighter and tenser as the Group Stage of the Fairer World Cup continues.
The previous chapter saw Argentina overcome some early wobbles to (eventually) top Group G, while there was a thrilling climax to Group H. But now the focus shifts towards Groups I and J.
The Republic of Ireland find themselves in a ‘group of death’, as DR Congo, Italy and Suriname all try to stop Harry Kane from nabbing the Golden Shoe. But first, can Harry’s former England team-mates prove that they can win the World Cup without him? (Probably not…)
GROUP I
ENGLAND
Are England overpowered on Football Manager? Even after their squad got the Farage treatment (losing most of their Irish and Afro-Caribbean stars), they still managed to win Euro 2024. Now ranked 2nd in the World Cup, Sir Gareth Southgate will aim to cap his decade-long tenure as manager with the greatest prize of them all.
Marcus Rashford and Cole Palmer could both have represented St Kitts & Nevis in another world, but England are delighted to retain their services in a pacey attack. Eagle-eyed playmaker Adam Wharton has become a midfield mainstay, and defender Benjamin White has even ended his feud with Southgate… for now.
Despite only losing twice since 2024, the Three Lions still look suspect defensively, and the fact that Solly March is a semi-regular also shows that they don’t have elite squad depth. Still, you can never say never.
SENEGAL
Senegal’s qualification was not a surprise, but the fact they needed an intercontinental play-off was. Having made the most of their lifeline, the Lions of Teranga will want to show that their energetic frontline can compete with the best.
Sadio Mané is still going strong, but former Bayern München team-mate Leroy Sané has taken his mantle as Senegal’s liveliest attacking threat. Italian-born Filippo Mané (no relation to Sadio) could be one of the World Cup’s top young defenders. Just ahead of him is anchor man Boubakary Soumaré, who Leicester fans will be amused to see is now at Real Madrid.
Senegal could do with a more consistent striker, as Boulaye Dia sometimes plays more like Ali Dia. And although their back four is physically strong, there are also quite a few raw youngsters, who might be at risk of becoming overawed later on.
PARAGUAY
Paraguay also needed to take the scenic route to the World Cup after narrowly missing out on automatic qualification. It’s their first global tournament since 2010 – and their first without the great Roque Santa Cruz since the 1990s – so they’ll be eager to make up for lost time.
La Albirroja are boosted by several imports from their big neighbours Brazil and Argentina. Carlos Coronel is a big sweeper keeper who has plenty of MLS experience, as does Vancouver’s diminutive midfield destroyer Andrés Cubas. Former Porto winger Pepê adds some flair and unpredictability to their attacks.
Though Paraguay had a decent defensive record in the qualifiers, they also struggled to retain the ball with much regularity. If their counter-attacking game falls apart in the Group Stage, they might be sent home early.
SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia stunned the eventual champions Argentina at the last World Cup… and then lost 4-0 at home to Uzbekistan in the qualifiers for this. Nonetheless, the Green Falcons are back on the big stage once again – this time with Roberto Mancini at the helm.
There are no naturalised Pro League players in the Saudi line-up, but they do have Sheffield United left-back Rhys Norrington-Davies, who just so happened to be born in Riyadh. A couple more defenders play in Europe – with right-back Saud Abdulhamid now at Stuttgart, while centre-half Ahmed Sharahili turns out for Heracles in the Netherlands.
Mancini’s win-or-bust tactics are undermined by a frontline severely lacking in quality. Stalwarts such as striker Firas Al-Buraikan and the evergreen wide forward Salem Al-Dawsari will try their best, but the Saudis could still be facing yet another Group Stage elimination.
SENEGAL vs ENGLAND
(13 June – Zapopan)
England’s quest to bring football home got off to a good start in Mexico. With seven minutes gone, captain Jordan Henderson brushed off Senegal midfielder Djibril Sow to stroke in the opening goal from a tight angle.
England had effortlessly kept the West Africans at arm’s length in the first half… but five minutes after the restart, Henderson literally stuck an arm out to block Sow’s free-kick. Senegal were awarded a penalty, and Sadio Mané sent Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way to level the scores.
A mixed evening’s work for Henderson ended with him picking up an ankle injury, before a potential winner from team-mate Marcus Rashford was chalked off by VAR. Senegal then pushed hard for a winner of their own… but luckily, this England side is still managed by Sir Gareth Southgate, not Thomas Tuchel. And so this battle of the Lions ended all-square at 1-1.
PARAGUAY vs SAUDI ARABIA
(13 June – Foxboro)
Saudi Arabia started the last World Cup by stunning South American opposition. A repeat didn’t look likely when Paraguay striker Antonio Sanabria toe-poked in the opening goal after five minutes… but Firas Al-Buraikan countered in kind for the Saudis a little over 20 minutes later. One-all.
Four minutes after parity was restored, though, Paraguay retook the lead through a thunderous Franco Cristaldo free-kick. La Albirroja were full steam ahead from that point, as nippy winger Pepe quickly set up a second Sanabria goal for a 3-1 lead.
The Saudis got some fresh hope midway through the second period, as Al-Buraikan drove in a penalty after a careless shove from Paraguay’s left-back Junior Alonso (aged 33). Al-Buraikan then came agonisingly close to scoring a hat-trick and clinching a draw, but it wasn’t to be. Despite looking very shaky after the interval, Paraguay held on to win 3-2.
SAUDI ARABIA vs SENEGAL
(17 June – Zapopan)
After bossing the opening half-hour, Senegal unsurprisingly took the lead against Saudi Arabia in the 32nd minute – through one of their Pro League players, no less. Al-Ahli’s Kalidou Koulibaly towered over the Arabian defence to nod home from Ismaila Sarr’s corner. However, the Green Falcons swooped back level right at the end of half-time, thanks to a fine finish from quick winger Marwan Al-Sahafi.
(In case you’re watching in black-and-white or otherwise can’t tell the teams apart, the Saudis are wearing the green shorts.)
That was their first and only shot of the match… and, incredibly, it was enough to earn a 1-1 draw! Despite their utter dominance through 89 of the 90 minutes, another winning opportunity had somehow passed Senegal’s wasteful stars by!
ENGLAND vs PARAGUAY
(17 June – Foxboro)
Anyone who’s followed England at major tournaments will know that they always have a 0-0 draw in them – usually at this stage in the group phase. Well… it was 0-0 at half-time, but Lord only knows how! The Three Lions wasted about half a dozen scoring chances in the first half, with both Cole Palmer and Levi Colwill hitting the woodwork!
This continued into the second half, when Paraguay’s players started kicking lumps out of England’s to stop them breaking through. When Reece James hit the underside of the bar in the 75th minute, you just wondered if it would be ‘one of those games’.
But the 22nd time of asking, and with just three minutes remaining, England finally got what they wished for. Carlos Coronel was eventually beaten by Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, before West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse hit a long-range stunner in stoppage time to round off a deserved 2-0 win. England’s persistence had paid off, and they were now top of Group I.
SAUDI ARABIA vs ENGLAND
(21 June – Zapopan)
Even on an FM24 match engine where most teams can retain the ball like Barcelona, Saudi Arabia’s passing was VERY loose and sloppy. England broke their defence early on with a swift counter-attack, tidily finished by Mason Mount. But I’m not gonna show you that – instead, here’s an absolute howler of a miss from Phil Foden!
Thanks for that, Phil. To be fair, Foden was much better a few minutes later, when he assisted AC Milan regista Adam Wharton (yes, seriously) to double the Three Lions’ lead.
Of course, England being England, they almost immediately allowed Salem Al-Dawsawi to pull a goal back. The Green Falcons should have had another shortly after the break, only for Al-Sahafi to screw wide a sitter that was almost as bad as Foden’s! (Almost.)
The Saudis would regret that miss when Jarrod Bowen restored England’s two-goal lead, bringing a huge smile to Danny Dyer’s face (and Dani Dyer’s as well). Even Levi Colwill got in on the scoring act, as Southgate’s side won 4-1 to secure top spot – and send Newcastle’s bankrollers back to Riyadh.
PARAGUAY vs SENEGAL
(21 June – Foxboro)
And so the two intercontinental play-off winners faced off to decide who would secure their place in Round 2. Senegal wasted an early chance to draw first blood when Iliman N’Diaye put a close-range strike straight into Carlos Coronel’s grateful hands…and that was basically the only highlight of a terrible first half.
Paraguay hardly bothered to create any chances of their own, seemingly satisfied with a 0-0 draw that would take them through. That strategy backfired after 77 minutes, when Alonso’s clumsy trip on Pape Matar Sarr gave away a penalty, which Sadio Mané confidently drove in to break the deadlock.
Mané then smashed another goal in off the crossbar to basically seal the deal. Paraguay finally woke up and got one back through Sebastián Ferreira, but they’d left it far too late. A 2-1 win sent Senegal through in 2nd place….
…though Paraguay would still qualify anyway, as one of the better 3rd-placed teams. All’s well that ends well!
GROUP J
ITALY
Whisper it quietly… but there’s a good chance Italy might win this Fairer World Cup. The Azzurri have enjoyed three productive years under Luciano Spalletti – reaching the Euro 2024 Semi Finals and then the 2025 UEFA Nations League Final. Having gone unbeaten in the World Cup qualifiers, can they now go all the way?
Being Italians, their success is built around a robust defence, of which captain Gianluigi Donnarumma is an elite custodian. Ex-Argentina man Guido Rodríguez is a defensive midfield shield, while forwards Gabriel Martinelli and Marcus Thuram have been in devastating scoring form since committing to their new nations.
While Italy have enough depth to cover for all but the worst injury crisis, there are still a few doubts about their title-winning credentials. Spalletti’s disciplinarian approach is not universally popular, and set-pieces aren’t exactly their forte.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
The Republic of Ireland will want to recapture the magic of USA ’94, when their English-born Boys in Green famously stunned Italy on American soil. Stepping into Jack Charlton’s shoes is ex-Nice boss Lucien Favre, who arguably has an even more talented squad at his disposal.
Ireland’s obvious star is Harry Kane, who was practically unstoppable during a fantastic qualifying campaign. Jude Bellingham’s midfield creativity was equally important, even if his kid brother Jobe did occasionally outshine him. Vice-captain Declan Rice and wingers Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon are part of a strong supporting cast.
If anything could stymie Ireland’s Quarter Final ambitions, it’s probably the defence. The full-backs are somewhat limited in technique, and keeper Caoimhin Kelleher has never seen much regular football with Liverpool.
DR CONGO
When the Democratic Republic of the Congo last qualified for the World Cup as Zaire in 1974, they were well out of their depth. Not this time. ‘Les Simbas’ have a frightening amount of firepower, and their talented crop of French and Belgian internationals will be sure to show what their former nations sorely missed.
Sadly for Romelu Lukaku’s useful and loving fans, DR Congo’s big centre-forward will miss the Group Stage after rolling his ankle in their final warm-up against England. The sharp but injury-prone Christopher Nkunku is set to lead the frontline in his absence, with the pacey Randal Kolo Muani providing support out wide.
The Congolese defence – led by Real Madrid colossus Benoît Badiashile – is powerful, if a little tactically naïve. And like many of the African qualifiers, they changed head coach after AFCON – needlessly disrupting their tactical preparations.
SURINAME
Debutants Suriname were the lowest-ranked nation to qualify for the World Cup, but they did so with a squad made predominantly of Dutch-bred stars playing in Europe’s top leagues. Indeed, the only native-born player in their finals squad is their third-choice goalkeeper!
The Suriboys are perhaps strongest in midfield, where they can call upon Xavi Simons’ silky technique and Ryan Gravenberch’s diverse skill set. With Justin Kluivert controversially being dropped before the tournament, dribbling demon Donyell Malen will be the main goal threat.
Though Suriname generally have a pretty young squad, they also have a few weary, ageing defensive players like Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum. A lethargic backline left them with a negative goal difference in the final qualifying group, and there’s a real fear they could be torn apart in the ‘Group of Death’.
ITALY vs DR CONGO
(14 June – Miami Gardens)
Italy had a major scare after just two minutes, when Gianluigi Donnarumma needed to save an early effort from Randal Kolo Muani after some shaky Azzurri defending. They didn’t learn their lesson. DR Congo opened the scoring on 26 minutes, and though Yoane Wissa took the headlines, Loïs Openda deserved all the credit for creating the goal.
Openda continued to dominate proceedings midway through the second half. Not long after brilliantly intercepting a corner that could have pulled Italy level, the RB Leipzig striker doubled DR Congo’s lead with a fantastic header from Benoît Badiashile’s cross.
The Léopards were keeping possession well and appeared to be in control… but then they lost focus, allowing Italy’s substitute striker Gianluca Scamacca to peg them back to 2-1 with four minutes to play. Fortunately, they managed to see the game out and claim a significant victory, though not before Kolo Muani had a third Congolese goal disallowed by VAR.
SURINAME vs REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
(14 June – Dallas)
Defences dominated a bruising first half-hour, in which Suriname’s Donyell Malen and Ireland’s Harry Kane each picked up knocks. However, Irish eyes were smiling by the 32nd minute, when some brilliant play by Jack Grealish allowed his opposite winger Jude Bellingham to open the scoring.
(And yes, Grealish is wearing the number 6. A lot of wide attackers are wearing the number 6 at this World Cup. Please don’t ask me why.)
Anyway, Suriname equalised half an hour later. Declan Rice took a whack in the back before Steven Bergwijn’s cross was flicked in by Noa Lang, getting the tournament’s best Dutch team off the mark.
After a heavily deflected shot from Ryan Manning briefly restored Ireland’s lead, Bergwijn and Lang repeated their earlier trick to make it 2-2. Though Ireland fashioned some late chances to win the game, an intriguing contest finished with the scores level.
DR CONGO vs SURINAME
(18 June – Dallas)
Though Suriname bravely defended a couple of early corners, their team of 11 Dutchmen was soon outsmarted by a compatriot. Rotterdam-born midfielder Antoni Milambo – who spent this season on loan at Reading – drilled in a fine strike from just outside the area midway through the first half to put DR Congo ahead.
Another Congolese goal followed soon after, when Christopher Nkunku sprung through the offside trap to stroke in Youri Tielemans’ pinpoint pass. Mind you, Skye Vink skied in a lovely header from just inside the area to get Suriname back in with a shout just before half-time.
DR Congo ramped up the pressure in the second period, but even though Suriname’s goalkeeper Warner Hahn wasn’t as well-known as many of his team-mates, he produced some fantastic saves. He was eventually beaten again in the 81st minute, when Openda’s penalty made it 3-1 after Jonathan Ikoné was fouled in the box. Les Simbas roared straight into the next phase with back-to-back victories.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND vs ITALY
(18 June – Miami Gardens)
Lady Luck smiled on the Irish in the first half. Italy’s Nicolò Barella smacked the crossbar from close range in the very first minute, and Azzurri fortunes didn’t get any better from there. Despite some impressive attacking play from Scamacca and Gabriel Martinelli, Ireland’s defence somehow remained unbreached at the break.
At the other end, though, Ireland were struggling. Kane was still hampered by the leg injury he sustained against Suriname, Grealish was having a bad hair day (as per usual), and their other attacking talents were unable to seriously test Donnarumma. Florida 2026 would not be a repeat of New Jersey 1994.
Indeed, the 1-0 scoreline would favour Italy this time. Alessandro Bastoni became the Azzurri’s hero when he scored from Martinelli’s 68th-minute corner, boosting their hopes of reaching their first World Cup knockout stage since 2006. But with just one point from two matches, Ireland’s dreams were in serious jeopardy.
DR CONGO vs REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
(22 June – Miami Gardens)
Ireland desperately needed to win their final group game, but it was the leaders who made the brighter start. DR Congo broke through in the 16th minute through Openda, who continued his scoring streak after Wissa hit the post.
Openda had the chance to score again in the 35th minute after being tripped by Declan Rice in the Irish penalty area, but his shot-kick was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher. That didn’t really reinvigorate Ireland, though, with Messrs Kane and Bellingham showing few signs of creating an equaliser before half-time.
A huge 45 minutes awaited the Boys in Green, who finally started to threaten Dimitry Bertaud in the Congolese goal. Their breakthrough eventually arrived in the 70th minute, when Kane at last opened his account after poking in a slide-rule pass from Rice. Ireland were level, but they still needed another goal…
…and 10 minutes later, Kane delivered again – this time with an assist from Grealish! Favre’s fellas were ahead, but they still needed some luck of the Irish (and VAR) to disallow a potential Kolo Muani equaliser before Nkunku fired a couple of close shots over. In the end, Ireland held on for a 2-1 win that kept them alive!
ITALY vs SURINAME
(22 June – Dallas)
So that meant Italy vs Suriname was effectively a straight eliminator. Nothing less than a win would save Suriname, but they fell behind in the 25th minute. Virgil van Dijk made a superb last-ditch tackle on Martinelli but could not prevent Nicolás González from firing the Azzurri ahead anyway.
Italy completely dominated the rest of the match – doubling their lead thanks to a disastrous Danilo Doekhi back-pass in the 66th minute. Federico Chiesa cunningly intercepted it, and though his initial shot hit the post, his follow-up found the net.
The Suriboys’ spirits were broken with that goal. Full-back Davide Calabria completed a confident 3-0 win for the Azzurri soon afterwards.
Italy were into the World Cup knockout rounds for the first time in 20 years, and they had overtaken DR Congo to top the group as well. As for Suriname, they were on their way back home… to the Netherlands, that is.
Next time, the Group Stage concludes with Germany, Nigeria and Spain all entering the fray… but can debutants Jordan and Thailand cause a surprise or two?
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