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The June 20–21 World Cup slate delivered a messy, market-jolting weekend, with heavy favourites winning, wobbling, and occasionally being dragged into the mud.
Germany Finds a Late Gear
Germany booked a Round of 32 place, but it needed a stoppage-time Deniz Undav winner to beat Côte d’Ivoire 2-1 in Toronto. That is the kind of result that keeps outright backers calm on paper and mildly sweaty in real life. Germany has six points from two games, yet this was more grind than glam.
Salah Turns Group G Upside Down
Egypt finally got its first World Cup win, rallying from 1-0 down to beat New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver. Mohamed Salah scored the go-ahead goal, Mostafa Zico changed the match, and Trezeguet finished it off late. For bettors, Group G now looks spicy: Egypt leads on four points, while Belgium and Iran both sit on two after their 0-0 draw.
Curaçao and Cape Verde Give Favourites a Headache
Curaçao earned its first World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador, thanks largely to Eloy Room’s 15 saves, the most recorded in a non-extra-time World Cup match since 1966. Cape Verde kept its own debut run alive with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay, proving once again that “small nation” is not the same as “easy bet.”
Spain and Brazil Restore Order
Spain bounced back hard from its opening draw, beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 as Lamine Yamal scored early and Mikel Oyarzabal hit a quick double. Brazil also did what Brazil was supposed to do, beating Haiti 3-0 behind two Matheus Cunha goals and another from Vinicius Junior. That steadied two major brands after slightly nervy starts.
The Dutch Make a Loud Statement
The Netherlands hammered Sweden 5-1, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scoring twice. Sweden went from looking lively after a 5-1 opening win over Tunisia to looking like a back line made of wet cardboard. For player props, Gakpo’s form will be hard for books to ignore.
What It Means for Bettors
The weekend lesson was simple: this expanded World Cup is not built for lazy favourites. Germany, Spain and Brazil all moved in the right direction, but Curaçao, Cape Verde and Iran reminded everyone that group-stage unders, keeper save markets and underdog handicap lines deserve a proper look. The average Joe chasing a fun World Cup bet should be careful with brand-name bias. A famous shirt still has to defend corners.
