Iran v New Zealand
Iran's 4-4-2 delivered three wins in four recent outings, and with no injuries to force a reshuffle, we expect Carlos Queiroz to field an identical side against a New Zealand team that has won just one of its last five.
Iran (4-4-2)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Alireza Beiranvand |
| RB | Ramin Rezaeian |
| CB | Shoja Khalilzadeh |
| CB | Ali Nemati |
| LB | Milad Mohammadi |
| RM | Saman Ghoddos |
| CM | Saeid Ezatolahi |
| CM | Mohammad Mohebi |
| LM | Aria Yousefi |
| ST | Shahriar Moghanlou |
| ST | Mehdi Taremi |
New Zealand (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Max Crocombe |
| RB | Tim Payne |
| CB | Finn Surman |
| CB | Michael Boxall |
| LB | Liberato Cacace |
| DM | Joe Bell |
| DM | Marko Stamenić |
| RAM | Callum McCowatt |
| CAM | Sarpreet Singh |
| LAM | Elijah Just |
| ST | Chris Wood |
The biggest selection doubt for New Zealand is whether Chris Wood, who carries the weight of their attacking threat almost single-handedly, can find the space to operate against Iran's compact defensive block.
France v Senegal
France arrive at MetLife Stadium on the back of four wins from five, and their 4-2-3-1 is settled enough that we see no reason to deviate from the XI that delivered a strong performance in their pre-tournament friendly.
France (4-2-3-1)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Mike Maignan |
| RB | Jules Koundé |
| CB | Dayot Upamecano |
| CB | William Saliba |
| LB | Theo Hernández |
| DM | Aurélien Tchouaméni |
| DM | Adrien Rabiot |
| RAM | Michael Olise |
| CAM | Ousmane Dembélé |
| LAM | Désiré Doué |
| ST | Kylian Mbappé |
Senegal line up in the same shape they used against Saudi Arabia. The key question is whether Kalidou Koulibaly, omitted from the previous lineup for undisclosed reasons, should return to the starting XI, but we expect continuity and keep Niakhaté and Sarr as the central pairing alongside Diatta and the returning Diouf at left back, with Mané and Cheikhou Ndiaye providing the attacking edge.
Senegal (4-3-3)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Édouard Mendy |
| RB | Krépin Diatta |
| CB | Moussa Niakhaté |
| CB | Malick Sarr |
| LB | Moussa Diouf |
| CM | Papa Ciss |
| CM | Lamine Camara |
| CM | Ismaïla Ndiaye |
| RW | Habib Diarra |
| ST | Sadio Mané |
| LW | Cheikhou Ndiaye |
The x-factor here is Nicolas Jackson: left out of the previous XI but a constant threat off the bench, and a player Aliou Cissé may turn to if Senegal need a goal late against a deep-lying French defence.
Iraq v Norway
Iraq's previous XI against Venezuela showed a 4-3-3 with clear structure, and we carry that forward in full. Norway, meanwhile, are unchanged from the Morocco game, with Haaland, Sørloth, and Nusa forming an attacking three that will test Iraq's back line.
Iraq (4-3-3)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Jalal Hassan Hachim |
| RB | Hussein Ali |
| CB | Ibraheem Bayesh |
| CB | Ali Al Hamadi |
| LB | Munaf Younus |
| CM | A. Qasem |
| CM | Rebin Solaka |
| CM | A. Maknzi |
| RW | Kevin Yakob |
| LW | A. Sher |
| ST | Aymen Hussein |
Norway (4-3-3)
| Pos | Player |
|---|---|
| GK | Ørjan Nyland |
| RB | Julian Ryerson |
| CB | Kristoffer Ajer |
| CB | Torbjørn Heggem |
| LB | Devyn Møller Wolfe |
| CM | Martin Ødegaard |
| CM | Sander Berge |
| CM | Fredrik Aursnes |
| RW | Alexander Sørloth |
| ST | Erling Haaland |
| LW | Antonio Nusa |
Norway's biggest selection dilemma sits wide: Oscar Bobb pushed hard for a starting spot in training, and should Nusa miss out through any late fitness concern, Bobb is ready to slot straight in on the left flank.
This article was researched and drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team.