Day six of the World Cup begins with Iran tackling New Zealand in a 2am kick-off UK time at Los Angeles Stadium.
It is the second game in Group G following on from Belgium’s showdown with Egypt, featuring two teams who are expected to be fighting over third place.
Later on Tuesday we can enjoy the first two matches in Group I, beginning with a belter at New York New Jersey Stadium.
That’s where France open their World Cup campaign with a tough test against 2025 AFCON finalists Senegal, their clash getting underway at 8pm.
Didier Deschamps has won the World Cup as both player and coach for France, and this will be his last tournament after 14 years at the helm.
Senegal have strong motivation to do well after feeling injustice from having their 1-0 win over Morocco in the AFCON final overturned by Africa’s football authorities.
That match is closely followed at 11pm by Iraq and Norway going head-to-head at Boston Stadium.
That will mark the World Cup debut of goalscoring phenomenon Erling Haaland, who has 55 goals in 50 senior appearances for Norway.
Check out our full online betting previews below for each of Sunday’s games, where we have picked out some tips based on the latest World Cup odds.
Iran vs New Zealand: Anytime Goalscorer – Mehdi Taremi @ 2.63
The league in Iran was suspended in March due to the conflict with the United States, so squad members based domestically have played little football since then. Their star man is Olympiacos striker Mehdi Taremi, 33, who scored both goals in a 6-2 defeat by England in the last World Cup. Iran had just one pre-tournament friendly, a 3-1 win over Gambia, with Taremi on the scoresheet. New Zealand ended their qualifying campaign scoring 26 goals in their final four games, but firing eight past Vanuatu and Samoa, plus seven more against Fiji, is not a true guide to their form. In their 12 games since June last year, they have enjoyed just two wins and lost NINE. That included a 4-0 thumping by Haiti and a 1-0 defeat by England in the first week of June. Pretty much all their hopes lie with their goalscoring captain, Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood. A more likely outcome here is Taremi to win the battle of the strikers.
France vs Senegal: Player To Score or Assist – Michael Olise @ 1.73
It is difficult not to place a lot of expectation on a fixture that features two exciting, free-flowing national teams. France have sparkled in the last two World Cup finals, beating Croatia 4-2 in 2018 before losing on penalties to Argentina in Qatar after a thrilling 3-3 draw. Since then, they have discovered a new star in blue in the shape of Michael Olise. Rejected by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City as a youth player, the former Crystal Palace winger is arguably one of the best in the world right now. His incredible stats for Bayern Munich in 2025-26 show 25 goals and 28 assists in 57 games. In France’s last warm-up match he carried on where he left off at club level, plundering a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland. Senegal have looked like a settled team for some time under coach Pape Thiaw, with Everton dynamos Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye in midfield and Sadio Mane prolific up front. Nicolas Jackson should be fulfilling the out-and-out striker’s role but has managed just eight goals in 33 games for the Lions of Teranga. He also managed to get himself sent off in last week’s 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia for receiving two yellow cards in as many minutes. There should be many special moments in this game – but Olise’s World Cup debut could be one to remember.
Iraq vs Norway: First Goalscorer – Erling Haaland @ 2.75
It can’t be helped, all eyes will be on one man here, Norway’s Erling Haaland. The Manchester City striker has proved himself to be almost untouchable at club level, winning the Premier League’s Golden Boot in three of the past four seasons. He blew away Norway’s opponents in qualifying with a haul of 16 goals from just eight games and now has the chance to show his considerable talent on the world stage. Norway knocked out four-time World Cup winners Italy to get to the finals, with Haaland scoring twice in a 4-1 away win that rounded off the group stage. Results since then have been a little patchy, though midfield inspiration Martin Odegaard scored in a creditable 1-1 draw with Morocco in the first week of June. Iraq coach Graham Arnold has World Cup experience having led his own country Australia through 2022 in Qatar, as well as being an assistant in 2006 and 2010. The fact that a two-day public holiday was granted to celebrate Iraq qualifying this year is a sign of just how unexpected their participation is. Let’s not be too harsh though. Since qualifying in April, they gave Spain a jolt by drawing 1-1 in La Coruna at the start of June, though that was followed by a 2-0 defeat by Venezuela. Can they stop Haaland? We don’t think so.
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