We look at four FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures taking place on Saturday the 20th and Sunday the 21st of June from a betting angle. Netherlands and Sweden meet in a crucial Group F encounter while in Group E, Germany face Ivory Coast. Also in Group E, Ecuador take on Curaçao before Tunisia and Japan battle for valuable points in the other Group F fixture.
SATURDAY
Netherlands vs Sweden
Netherlands were forced to settle for a point in their opening fixture after drawing 2-2 against Japan. The Dutch found themselves ahead twice through Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville but were unable to hold onto their advantage with Daichi Kamada equalising late in the contest. While they showed plenty of attacking intent, defensive lapses prevented them from collecting all three points.
Sweden made one of the strongest starts of any nation in the tournament by hammering Tunisia 5-1 on Monday. Yasin Ayari opened the scoring early just a few minutes in before Alexander Isak added a second prior to the break. Viktor Gyökeres, Mattias Svanberg and a second goal from Ayari completed an emphatic victory that highlighted Sweden’s attacking flair and defensive stability.
Head-to-Head
The nations have met multiple times previously with Netherlands holding the slight upper hand overall. Their most recent meeting came during World Cup qualifying in 2017 when Netherlands recorded a 2-0 victory while an earlier meeting in 2016 ended level at one goal apiece.
Betting – Click here to bet
Netherlands 1.73
Draw 4.00
Sweden 5.00
Verdict
Sweden arrive with significant momentum following their five goal display against Tunisia while Netherlands also showed plenty going forward against Japan. Both sides possess dangerous attacking players and with qualification points at a premium, I think this game should produce goals at both ends.
BET: Both Teams to Score – Yes at 1.87
Germany vs Ivory Coast
Germany produced a statement result in their opening match by dismantling Curaçao 7-1. Felix Nmecha opened the scoring before further goals from Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav furthered the deficit between the sides.
Ivory Coast also started things off in the winning column after defeating Ecuador 1-0 in dramatic fashion. The match appeared destined for a draw before Amad Diallo struck in the 90th minute to hand the Africans an important three points. Defensively they were disciplined throughout and will take confidence from keeping a clean sheet.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meeting between these nations ended in a 2-2 draw during an International Friendly in 2009.
Betting – Click here to bet
Germany 1.57
Draw 4.50
Ivory Coast 5.75
Verdict
Germany looked devastating upfront against Curaçao and will fancy their chances of securing qualification with another victory here. Ivory Coast are organised and capable of causing problems in front of their own goal but matching Germany over ninety minutes appears a difficult task and I think the breakthroughs will happen as the game commences.
BET: Germany to Win and Over 2.5 Goals at 2.30
Terms and conditions
- The promotion runs from 1 June to 19 July 2026.
- To qualify for the R20 Free Bet reward, a real money stake of R100 or more must be placed on any FIFA market during the promotional period.
- Free bets do not qualify for this offer. Single/Straight bets only.
- Free Bet adjustments may take up to 72 hours to process and will be loaded automatically.
- Free Bets may only be used on FIFA World Cup markets.
- Any Free Bets not used before 23:59:59 on 19 July 2026 will expire and will be forfeited.
- This promotion is strictly limited to one (1) reward per account.
- Standard World Sports Betting Promotional Terms apply.
- Free Bet T&Cs apply.
SUNDAY
Ecuador vs Curaçao
Ecuador come into this fixture searching for their first win of the tournament after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat against Ivory Coast. The South Americans were competitive throughout and looked on course for a point before conceding in the closing stages.
Curaçao endured a terrible start to their first ever World Cup fixture due to losing by a margin of six goals against Germany. They briefly threatened an upset when Livano Comenencia equalised just 20 minutes into the first half but were ultimately overwhelmed by the German attack and conceded four times in the second half alone.
Head-to-Head
There have been no previous meetings between Ecuador and Curaçao.
Betting – Click here to bet
Ecuador 1.11
Draw 10.00
Curaçao 29.00
Verdict
Ecuador will be viewing this as a must win fixture following their opening defeat and they face a Curaçao side that struggled badly despite facing top opposition. The South Americans possess more quality across the pitch, specifically defensively and should create enough chances to record a comfortable victory in my opinion.
BET: Ecuador -2.5 Asian Handicap at 1.95 – Ecuador to win by 3 goals or more
Tunisia vs Japan
Tunisia were beaten heavily by Sweden in their opening fixture and now find themselves under pressure heading into this contest. The team showed glimpses of attacking intent through Omar Rekik’s goal but were repeatedly exposed defensively and will need a more consistent display to keep their qualification hopes alive.
Japan picked up an excellent point against Netherlands after fighting back twice to finish the game level. Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada found the net while the Japanese once again demonstrated the resilience and organisation that have made them one of the most difficult sides to face in international football.
Head-to-Head
The nations have met five times before this with Japan winning four encounters and Tunisia winning once. Their most recent meeting came in 2023 when Japan secured a 2-0 victory but before that Tunisia won 3-0 in the Kirin Cup 2022 as massive underdogs.
Betting – Click here to bet
Tunisia 6.50
Draw 4.25
Japan 1.56
Verdict
Japan were impressive against a strong Netherlands side and appear to have the momentum heading into this match. Tunisia struggled against Sweden and could find it difficult to contain Japan’s movement and technical quality over the course of the match. I believe Japan will hold out on defence while piling on pressure at the other end of the pitch to claim their first triumph of the tournament.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Japan and No at 2.35
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
