Two group stage openers land on Friday, with South Korea hosting Czech Republic at Estadio Akron and Canada welcoming Bosnia & Herzegovina to BMO Field. Here are every starting XI we expect to see, picked straight from the confirmed tournament squads.
South Korea v Czech Republic
South Korea arrive on a three-match winning run and we see no reason for Hwang Sun-hong to disrupt a settled 3-4-2-1 that already faced this exact opponent, while the Czech Republic's narrow 3-4-2-1 gives Patrik Schick the central target role he needs to threaten Kim Min-jae's back three.
South Korea (3-4-2-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Kim Seung-Gyu |
| CB | Lee Han-Beom |
| CB | Kim Min-Jae |
| CB | Lee Gi-Hyuk |
| WB | Seol Young-Woo |
| CM | Hwang In-Beom |
| CM | Paik Seung-Ho |
| WB | Lee Tae-Seok |
| AM | Lee Kang-In |
| AM | Lee Jae-Sung |
| ST | Son Heung-Min |
Czech Republic (3-4-2-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | M. Kovár |
| CB | S. Chaloupek |
| CB | R. Hranác |
| CB | L. Krejcí |
| WB | V. Coufal |
| CM | T. Soucek |
| CM | A. Sojka |
| WB | J. Zelený |
| AM | L. Provod |
| AM | P. Sulc |
| ST | P. Schick |
The biggest selection doubt on this fixture is whether Czech head coach Ivan Hašek trusts the Provod-Šulc combination behind Schick again, or turns to Adam Hložek to add more direct running against South Korea's aggressive wing-backs.
Canada v Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada's 4-4-2 has given them shape and a platform in recent friendlies, and with Alphonso Davies back in the squad his place at left back is the most consequential selection call on the entire teamsheet.
Canada (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | M. Crépeau |
| RB | A. Johnston |
| CB | D. Cornelius |
| CB | L. De Fougerolles |
| LB | A. Davies |
| RM | T. Buchanan |
| CM | I. Koné |
| CM | S. Eustáquio |
| LM | L. Millar |
| ST | J. David |
| ST | C. Larin |
Bosnian form across their last five reads five draws, and Sergej Barbarez has kept faith with the same defensive core throughout that run, so we anchor our prediction on the XI that held Panama.
Bosnia & Herzegovina (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | N. Vasilj |
| RB | A. Dedic |
| CB | N. Katic |
| CB | T. Muharemovic |
| LB | S. Kolasinac |
| DM | B. Tahirovic |
| DM | I. Basic |
| RM | Kerim-Sam Alajbegovic |
| AM | E. Bajraktarevic |
| LM | J. Lukic |
| ST | E. Demirovic |
The x-factor for this fixture is Edin Džeko: he did not feature in the previous XI, but the tournament stage and the symbolism of a first World Cup appearance could convince the coaching staff to hand him a starting berth over Demirovic.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.