In this article, FPL Milanista (aka Obay) shares some expert tips and his team for Round 1 of Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026.
Obay is one of the best all-around Fantasy managers out there. He has four top 500 finishes in UCL Fantasy (including 84th this season!), a second-place Euro Fantasy finish and six top 10k FPL ranks.
As with any Fantasy game that combines a group stage and knockout rounds, the early matchdays (or ‘Rounds’) often present the biggest opportunities.
Significant mismatches between tournament favourites and lower-ranked nations can create ideal conditions for goals, assists, clean sheets, and captaincy hauls, making a strong start particularly important.
1. ENSURE YOU HAVE A STRONG SQUAD – AND NO BENCH FODDER
First of all, manual substitutions are a feature of the game, making squad structure extremely important. Managers should prioritise having a strong, playable bench and avoid carrying any dead spots in their squad.
The ability to substitute players after they have played creates additional opportunities to maximise points and rewards managers who plan their squad across multiple matchdays.
Remember: order your starting XI and subs by fixture date. Subs can only be manually brought on if their nation has yet to kick off.
2. USE (AT LEAST) TWO CHIPS IN THE GROUP STAGE
Chips or “boosters” are typically among the most influential elements of any Fantasy tournament.
Given the short duration of the World Cup and the concentration of high-value fixtures during the group stage, chip timing can have a significant impact on overall rank.
In my view, two chips must be deployed during the group stage, as this phase provides more predictable fixtures and more opportunities for heavy victories.
A very common and reasonable approach is to build a strong squad for the opening two matchdays and then use the Wildcard as a free hit for Round 3, when top teams are likely to have already qualified and squad rotation is expected.
The 12th Man booster is better used in the group stages, too. Again, we need to target the early fixtures where the quality gap between teams is at its highest.
3. WEIGH UP THE TWO ‘MAXIMUM CAPTAIN’ APPROACHES
The Maximum Captain booster is arguably the most debated chip in the game, with two distinct schools of thought emerging among Fantasy managers.
USING IT EARLY
One approach is to deploy it during the group stage, where several heavily one-sided fixtures can create huge captaincy scores.
For example, in Round 1, Germany’s match against Curacao appears to be one of the most favourable fixtures on the schedule. While Florian Wirtz may seem like the obvious captaincy choice, there’s always the possibility that teammates such as Jamal Musiala, Joshua Kimmich or Kai Havertz are the ones who deliver the explosive returns. In that scenario, the Maximum Captain booster acts as insurance, automatically awarding the captaincy to whichever player scores the most points.
The same logic applies elsewhere. Spain have attractive opening fixtures, while elite assets such as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are capable of producing massive hauls on any given matchday. Activating Maximum Captain in a week where goals are expected to flow freely removes the dilemma of whether to stick or twist with your captaincy choices and virtually guarantees you benefit from whichever premium asset delivers the biggest haul.
SAVING IT FOR LATER
On the other hand, managers who prefer to save the chip for the knockout rounds argue that the group stage already provides multiple opportunities to switch captains across different days.
Even if your initial captain underperforms, you still have several chances to move the armband to another premium player and potentially match the score of the eventual top performer.
From this perspective, the Maximum Captain booster becomes more valuable later in the tournament, when captaincy options are fewer and margins are tighter.
Personally, I can see merit in both approaches. The optimal strategy will ultimately depend on your appetite for risk and your overall objectives.
At this stage, I’m leaning towards using the chip early to maximise the chances of a strong start and build momentum from the opening Round.
It’s also worth remembering that the World Cup includes a third-place playoff, meaning that even on the final Matchday, there are still two separate opportunities to target captaincy returns.
4. PLAN YOUR TRANSFERS, AS THERE ARE NO PRICE CHANGES
