I’ll admit it.
There was so much build up in the anticipation towards the biggest tournament of the summer that I wondered whether it could possibly live up to the hype.
Somehow, it’s exceeded all my expectations.
Lamine Yamal’s return to the lineup sparked Spain’s attack in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
At 18 years and 343 days old, Yamal became the second-youngest player to score the first goal in a tournament match behind a 17-year-old Pele versus Wales all the way back in 1958.
https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2068729687493251109
While they were held to a single point in a scoreless draw versus Cabo Verde in their opener, Spain remains undefeated in its last 32 matches overall and is still the second choice to lift the trophy at +500.
With Yamal back in the lineup, Spain can’t be overlooked.
Meanwhile, Canada is set to face off against Switzerland in Vancouver on Wednesday with first place in Group B on the line.
Coming off a thrilling 6-0 win over Qatar, Canada to win or draw versus Switzerland is -190 at FanDuel.
That number means FanDuel is giving Canada a 65.5 per cent implied chance to clinch top spot in Group B.
Canada to reach the Round of 16 is -140 at FanDuel.
First up, some of the game’s biggest superstars are set to step back into the spotlight again today.
If their Matchday 1 performances are indicative of what is to come, then we should be in line for a show.
Let’s set the stage in this Morning Coffee column for Monday June 22nd, 2026.
What Do Some Of Soccer’s Biggest Superstars Have In Store For An Encore Performance?
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland were all among the top choices to lead the tournament in scoring.
All three delivered epic performances on Matchday 1.
Now the question becomes, what will they do for an encore?
After scoring a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria, the ageless wonder Lionel Messi is set to lead Argentina into a first-place showdown versus Austria in Group J.
Messi is -105 to become the third player ever to score a goal in six consecutive tournament matches and the first to accomplish that feat since 1970.
Messi to score the first goal is +300.
Messi to score two or more goals is +460.
Messi to score a hat-trick is +2200.
While Messi led the way with three goals on Matchday 1, it’s Kylian Mbappe who remains the favourite to lead the tournament in scoring at +300 at FanDuel.
France is a massive favourite (-1500) for today’s match versus Iraq.
Mbappe, who scored twice in a 3-1 win over Senegal, has the shortest odds to score a goal of any player on any team today at -230.
Mbappe to score the first goal is +210, and to score two or more goals is +175.
Then there’s Erling Haaland, who led Norway with two goals to a 4-1 win over Iraq in his tournament debut.
Haaland is a distant fifth choice to lead the tournament in scoring at +1600.
He’s +120 to score a goal versus Senegal, +290 to score the first goal, and +430 to score two or more goals.
FanDuel’s Super Sub feature means that if you bet on a player to score a goal, the first goal, or 2 or more goals and they get subbed out, anything their replacement does counts towards that bet.
While that feature has been an excellent tool throughout the tournament, we might not need it with these stars.
A parlay with all three of Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland to score a goal can be found at +598 at FanDuel.
A parlay with Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland to score the first goal can be found at +6931.
Finally, I grabbed all three to score two or more goals again at a whopping +12380 at FanDuel.
For perspective, a $10 bet pays $1238.
For my FanDuel Best Bet, I’ll take France to score two or more first half goals versus Iraq at -105.
France got off to a slow start versus Senegal, which is a much tougher opponent on paper, then exploded for three goals in the second half.
I’ll bank on a faster start this time around against an Iraq side that gave up four goals to Norway, including two in the first half.
Hopefully, France can pick up from where they left off in the second half versus Senegal.
Have a great day, everyone!
