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France motivated to salvage tournament in third-place match; deeper squad and more rest than devastated semifinal loser

England's resilience under Tuchel and Bellingham's extra-time heroics give them the edge over a fatigued Argentina side; Messi's brilliance not enough in a tight semifinal

Spain's attacking depth with Yamal and returning Williams/Pino overwhelms France's defense; Euro 2024 semifinal precedent; Mbappe fitness doubt and Tchouameni/Kone injuries weaken France's midfield

Messi brilliance and Argentina depth prevail over Swiss defensive solidity but keeps it close

Norway in red-hot form with Haaland on fire, England depleted by suspensions and injuries, poor WC knockout record vs European sides

Spain have not conceded a goal in the tournament, Lamine Yamal is back and in form. Belgium's key players (De Bruyne, Doku) have underperformed and Belgium dealing with injury concerns. Spain's defensive solidity and attacking quality should prevail.

France too strong even without full intensity; Morocco weakened by Saibari absence, tight defensive quarterfinal

Colombia edge tight matchup; Switzerland injury doubts prove costly

Argentina advance despite Messi head concern; Egypt resilient but Argentina quality prevails

USA at home with Balogun available and Pulisic back; Belgium vulnerable on counter

Spain's cohesion and technical superiority edge unconvincing Portugal in tight Iberian derby

Mexico upset: unbeaten defense at altitude in Azteca, England defensive injuries

Norway upset: Brazil missing Raphinha and Paqueta to injury, Haaland clinical in knockout

France's depth and quality too much for Paraguay's limited attack

Morocco's defensive organization and 2022 semi-final experience prevails in tight knockout tie

Colombia attacking trio Diaz-Suarez-Rodriguez too much; Ghana score but fall short

Argentina quality too much even with rotation; Cape Verde fairytale ends here

Salah hamstring doubt limits Egypt threat; Australia defensive structure edges tight knockout

Tight low-scoring affair; Algeria coach faces former team with momentum from Austria draw, but Swiss knockout experience prevails

Portugal fully fit with Ronaldo motivated in knockouts; Croatia unpredictable but Portugal depth edges it in tight contest

Spain wing injuries (Yamal not sharp, Williams/Pino out) make this tighter than expected, but midfield quality should edge past organized Austria

USA home crowd advantage in Seattle; Bosnia first knockout appearance, may be overwhelmed by occasion

Belgium finally clicking with De Bruyne-Doku-Trossard axis; Senegal in form but lack cutting edge up top

England quality should prevail but RB crisis (James+Quansah out) gives DR Congo angles on the flank; Wissa threat real

Contrarian pick - Ecuador edge Mexico in tight matchup

France are my champion pick, Sweden barely qualified with Elanga confusion

Haaland in great form after scoring twice vs Senegal, Norway have momentum

Contrarian: Morocco's defensive structure frustrates Netherlands, edge in ET

Germany's knockout experience too much for Paraguay

Brazil's quality should edge Japan but Japan's organization keeps it close

South Africa tough defensively, Canada over-reliant on Davies, host crowd split

Argentina class with Messi

Austria high press under Rangnick

Uzbekistan improving, DR Congo inconsistent

Portugal quality in final third

Croatia experience edges Ghana athleticism

England much stronger squad depth

Belgium too strong for New Zealand

Salah decides it for Egypt against defensive Iran

Spain advances but Uruguay makes it competitive

Saudi Arabia edge Cape Verde in tight Group H clash

Senegal much stronger than Iraq

France too strong for Norway, Haaland contained

Australia slight edge in tight matchup

Turkey rising talent, USA inconsistent - contrarian pick

Netherlands quality too much for Tunisia

Japan strong home form, Sweden vulnerable away

Germany powerhouse, Ecuador outclassed

Ivory Coast much stronger squad, Curacao overmatched

Contrarian: South Africa physical at home, Korea reliant on Son

Contrarian: Czech Republic organized, Mexico inconsistent

Morocco strong post-2022, Haiti major underdog

Brazil technically superior but Scotland physical, tight game

Bosnia quality edge over Qatar, should control game

Switzerland solid defensively, Canada inexperienced at this level

Colombia clear favorites vs DR Congo in Group K

Croatia's midfield control too much for Panama

England quality should overcome Ghana in Group L

Portugal strong favorite vs Uzbekistan, should dominate Group K

Algeria's superior quality should beat Jordan

Senegal's tournament experience edges Norway despite Haaland

France too strong for Iraq, should dominate

Argentina's quality and experience should prevail over Austria

Egypt slight edge in experience, New Zealand competitive

Uruguay strong defense and attack, Cape Verde overmatched

Belgium quality edge, Iran organized but limited attack

Spain dominant possession, Saudi Arabia defensive but outclassed

Japan clearly better after holding Netherlands 2-2; Tunisia reeling from 5-0 demolition by Sweden

Ecuador heavy favorites vs Curacao who were demolished 7-1 by Germany; Ecuador need bounce-back win after 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast

Germany demolished Curacao 7-1, too strong for Ivory Coast

Sweden Isak on fire after 5-0 win, Netherlands injury-hit and drew 2-2

Paraguay depleted with multiple injuries, Turkey Arda Guler key

Brazil strong even without Neymar vs Haiti

Morocco held Brazil to 0-0, Bouaddi emerging, Scotland limited attack

Australia Irankunda in form, USA may be without Pulisic

Contrarian: South Korea in form after beating Czech Republic; Mexico's goalscorer Quinones has a knock

Canada at home vs Qatar; Davies fitness uncertain but home advantage and squad depth should prevail

Switzerland more experienced tournament side; Bosnia played well vs Canada but Swiss should edge it

Czech Republic have more quality; South Africa missing Sithole and Zwane to suspension weakens them significantly

Colombia's attacking trio of Diaz, Arias, and Rodriguez should break down Uzbekistan's defense

Ghana's key absences (Partey visa, Kudus injury) level the playing field against experienced Panama

Tuchel's tactical flexibility gives England a narrow edge despite Saka's minor fitness concerns

Portugal's superior squad depth and Ronaldo's motivation in likely final WC

Austria dominate: Jordan missing key attackers Al Naimat and Sabra, Austria in strong form.

Argentina edge Algeria: Messi and Martinez fit, Algeria missing key defenders but put up a fight.

Iraq holds Norway: Iraq's dramatic qualification momentum and defensive resilience frustrate Haaland-led Norway.

Senegal upset: France midfield depth concerns, Senegal's balance and pace exploit vulnerabilities.

Iran's physical edge prevails over New Zealand

Uruguay's class and experience edges Saudi Arabia

Belgium's star power overwhelms Egypt despite Salah threat

Spain with Yamal and Williams back too strong for debutants Cape Verde

Sweden's attack with Isak and Gyokeres edges injury-hit Tunisia

Germany's firepower too strong for Curacao

Turkey edge Australia in tight contest

Scotland's quality should prevail despite Gilmour injury doubt

Ecuador's defensive discipline wins

Netherlands' experience edges Japan