We have another five-star Sunday ahead with nearly eight hours of World Cup 2026 football packed into a busy 24 hours.
Ecuador and Curacao get the ball rolling at 1am UK time with a battle for Group E points at Kansas City Stadium. Both teams suffered defeat in their opening games, but while Ecuador fell to a last-minute goal in a tight contest with Ivory Coast, Curacao were trounced 7-1 by Germany.
There’s a Group F showdown at 5am with Tunisia hoping to contain Japan at Estadio Monterrey. Tunisia have to bounce back after a 5-1 thrashing by Sweden while Japan will have gained confidence from holding Netherlands to a 2-2 draw.
There are three evening games to take in, beginning with Spain’s return to action against Saudi Arabia in a 5pm kick-off hosted by Atlanta Stadium. Spain’s 0-0 draw with minnows Cape Verde was one of the shocks of the first phase but Group H sees all four teams on one point after Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 with Uruguay.
An 8pm kick-off at Los Angeles Stadium showcases a Group G clash between Belgium and Iran. This is another group where all four teams are presently sat on one point each.
To bring a busy day of World Cup football to a close we have Uruguay tackling Cape Verde in an 11pm kick-off at Miami Stadium. Cape Verde won over many hearts by holding on for a historic 0-0 draw with Spain and it will be interesting to see if they can repeat their heroics against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Check out our full online betting previews below for all five of Sunday’s games, where we have picked out some tips based on the latest World Cup odds.
*All odds are subject to change
Ecuador vs Curacao: Anytime Goalscorer – Enner Valenia @ 1.73
Ecuador arrived at the World Cup full of confidence and on the back of a 19-game unbeaten run. Amad Diallo’s last-minute winner for Ivory Coast in their opening match came as a shock to their system. Veteran striker Enner Valencia, 36, had a surprisingly uninspiring 77 minutes, managing just one shot off target all game. His form for Ecuador in 2026 suggests that it was probably just an off day. He has contributed seven goals and two assists in his last 18 appearances for his nation. Curacao enjoyed a few minutes of parity with Germany after Livano Comenencia’s 21st-minute equaliser, but the dream quickly descended into a nightmare which produced a 7-1 final scoreline. Curacao generally manage to find the net at least once in their games but defensively they are shot to pieces. Their last two matches ahead of the mauling by Germany were a 5-1 defeat to Australia and a 4-1 loss to Scotland. This surely has to be a day for Valencia to rediscover his scoring boots.
Tunisia vs Japan: Total Goals – Over 2.5 @ 2.02
Tunisia were another team who suffered a thumping in their opening game, being felled 5-1 by Sweden. The warning signs were there earlier this month. Having dominated their World Cup qualifying group without conceding a single goal in 10 matches, their final warm-up game was a 5-0 thrashing by Belgium. Japan caused all sorts of problems for Group F favourites Netherlands, earning a well-deserved 2-2 draw with an 88th-minute equaliser from Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada. That extended their unbeaten run to eight matches but it was also the sixth consecutive game in which Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda has failed to score. That is an out-of-character sequence for a player who notched 25 goals in 31 games for his club in 2025-26 and who has eight goals in his last 18 international appearances. Goals could be on the agenda for Japan’s marksmen against defensively-frail opponents.
Spain vs Saudi Arabia: Bet Builder – Spain to win, Over 2.5 goals & Mikel Oyarzabal to score anytime @ 2.05
European Champions Spain pummelled group underdogs Cape Verde with 27 shots in their opening game but could only take a 0-0 draw from their African opponents. In many ways it was a bizarre result for a Spanish side that has now lost just once in 31 matches. PSG midfielder Fabian Ruiz had five pops at goal, as did Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal. He is Spain’s man in form with eight goals in his last seven international appearances. Saudi Arabia have only managed one win in their last eight games but defended with honour against Uruguay for a well-earned point in a 1-1 draw. The worry for them is that Spain will be going all out for the win to take command of the group.
Belgium vs Iran: To Assist a Goal Double Chance – Jeremy Doku or Leandro Trossard @ 2.20
Belgium kicked-off their Group G campaign with a gritty 1-1 draw against Egypt to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games. Coach Rudi Garcia may look to make some changes, as his team struggled to create much of a threat going forward with just three shots on target all game. One option would be to recall Benfica striker Dodi Lukebakio, 28, who has scored four goals in his last five international appearances. Romelu Lukaku had a positive influence after coming on as a substitute, forcing the error that caused Mohamed Hany to put through his own net for Belgium’s equaliser. They will certainly be looking for more creative influence from wingers Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku. Iran fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw with New Zealand which featured a goal from wide man Mohammad Mohebi. He has an impressive return for a winger having scored 15 goals in 38 games for his country. The pressure is on Belgium to secure the win to prove they have the quality to be serious contenders in the latter stages of this tournament.
Uruguay vs Cape Verde: Outcome And Both To Score – Uruguay And No @ 1.98
Uruguay haven’t won a game since beating Uzbekistan 2-1 away in October last year. Since then, they have stumbled through four draws and a heavy 5-1 defeat by the USA. The main concern is the lack of goals in recent games, just three in the last five. Striker Darwin Nunez raced to 13 goals in his first 25 appearances for Uruguay, including a run of scoring in seven consecutive games. Since then, he has fired blanks in an alarming 14 internationals. Strike partner Federici Vinas hasn’t fared much better. Marcelo Bielsa handed him his international debut, but he’s managed just two goals in 12 games. When you look at those stats you can’t help wondering whether Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha may possibly keep another clean sheet, like he did against Spain. It is just one win in six from open play for the island country – several of their friendlies had penalty kick outcomes – and in the draw with Spain they crafted only six shots and spent much of their time in a courageous backs-to-the-wall fight. On the face of it, this should be a fixture in which Uruguay can flex their muscles.
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