Team Reveals

Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026: Tom Freeman’s team reveal

5 June 2026 32 comments
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In this article, Tom Freeman – who came 368th in UCL Fantasy this year and has five top 1k FPL finishes – reveals his current team for Round 1 of Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026.

CHIP STRATEGY

FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026: first draft + chip strategy 1

Due to the short format, getting off to a good start in World Cup Fantasy is critical.

Because of that, I’m likely to use a chip in each round of the group stage:

  • Round 1: Maximum Captain
  • Round 2: 12th Man (Vinicius Junior v Haiti)
  • Round 3: Wildcard (with squad rotation expected, this chip is locked!)
  • Round of 16/32: Qualification Booster/Mystery Booster

This approach means that I can treat Rounds 1 and 2 independently.

WORLD CUP FANTASY DRAFT

 

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The rest of this article below is completely free to read but requires a Fantasy Football Scout user account for access – you can get yours at no cost here

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32 Comments Login to Post a Comment
  1. HVT
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 15 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Must say I like this draft and strategy

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    1. The Knights Template
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      You’re not allowed to copy, sorry! It’s Tom’s team.

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  2. GreennRed
    • 14 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Some good picks. Not sold on Canada to keep a cleansheet v Bosnia & Herzogovina or Equador to keep a cleansheet v Ivory Coast?

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    1. NZREDS
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      I can’t see Equador keeping a clean sheet against Ivory Coast either

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  3. martynteresa
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Content creators banging on about Germany and Spain players in round 1 versus weak teams, but none mention.............

    If it's 3-0 half time is your star player ging to come out for the second half

    Or 2-0 at hal time then early subbed 55 mins

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    1. Runnerboy31
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      If its 3-0 the star players have likely already hauled so whats your point?

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    2. TitiGarrincha
      1 month, 17 days ago

      This is real stupid sh*t

      So you’re not going to pick players bc they might bang 2 goals in 45 minutes?

      Do you even hear yourself?

      Rather have guaranteed 90 minutes and 2 points?

      What

      The

      Frig

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      1. Tony Moon
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        Calm down, there's a good lad.

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  4. martynteresa
    1 month, 17 days ago

    or will they even put their star men on to start aganist curacoa and cpe verde in the first place

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    1. Runnerboy31
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Name me a time that a team has ever not gone full strength in game 1 of a world cup

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      1. gart888
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        While I agree with you, I'd also say name a time where so many 3rd place teams will advance out of the group stage of a world cup. Things *could* potentially be different this time.

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        1. Runnerboy31
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 5 Years
          1 month, 17 days ago

          International teams have very few opportunities to play together and build understanding and rhythm and with how quickly games come around teams already qualified will likely rest in game 3. I see pretty much no chance that any team, irrespective of opponent, doesn't go full strength in the first game. No one will want to end the group stage having only played their best 11 together once (injuries aside).

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    2. gart888
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Yes. They want their star players to get into a rhythm and secure the 3 points.

      You're right about them subbing off at 55 mins, but I'd rather 55 minutes of a star player in a side that's scoring goals than 90 minutes of someone else in a team that may not score as many.

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  5. Winston.
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 12 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Which one?

    A.
    GK: Rochet, Galindez
    DEF: Mojica
    MID: Olise

    or

    B.
    GK: Maignan, Simon
    DEF: Munoz
    MID: Calhanoglu / DeBruyne

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    1. CoracAld2831
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 16 days ago

      B.

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  6. Jobby7
    • 2 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Neither goalkeeper will keep a clean sheet in the first round. Change Crepeau for round one and use Galindez in round two.

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    1. TheFridge
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 3 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      that's my plan, too, jobby. i might just spend both of my transfers on ecuador defenders -- ideally, less than 5% owned -- for their game against Curacao. that could be a nice haul.

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  7. FPL Sanky
    • 2 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Isn't this a better draft

    Galindez Rengel
    Cucurella O'Reilly Kimmich Tagliafico Inacio
    Bruno Doku Wirtz Raphinha Sabitzer
    Mbappe Haaland Oyarzabal

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    1. gart888
      • 12 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Yeah, that looks like a stronger list of players, but the question is if it's better during the first round of games.

      Not sure that Doku against Egypt and Raphinha against Morocco are really better than Musiala against Curacao and Xhaka against Qatar

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      1. gart888
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        Hmmm, but simply going Crepeau and Xhaka for Rangel and Raphinha is probably pretty undeniably better...

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  8. Charlie Price
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 17 days ago

    Am I reading this correctly?

    Tom Freeman is giving the armband to a goalkeeper (Galindez) if earlier picks don’t deliver. Likely to concede against Ivory Coast.

    Not keen personally on a game where you can change your captain ten times in the space of a few days until you get it right

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    1. Charlie Price
      • 5 Years
      1 month, 17 days ago

      Just noticed he is captaining Canada’s keeper as well. Never seen that kind of strategy before.

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      1. Holmes
        • 12 Years
        1 month, 17 days ago

        yes, I would do that as well since he is the first one playing

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        1. CoracAld2831
          • 5 Years
          1 month, 17 days ago

          I all else fails, captain the keeper.

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          1. CoracAld2831
            • 5 Years
            1 month, 17 days ago

            Technically you can change your captain 15 times in 1 round, but it would need a lot of managing.

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        2. Charlie Price
          • 5 Years
          1 month, 17 days ago

          So basically you just captain everyone in your squad in turn until you land on a haul.

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          1. Holmes
            • 12 Years
            1 month, 17 days ago

            wouldnt be able to captain everyone unless you pick 15 players from 15 countries but one per day is easy.

            I'm not preparing the squad with an intention to cap in every game possible but if I happen to have Canada GK as the only option on the day, why not.

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            1. CoracAld2831
              • 5 Years
              1 month, 17 days ago

              Pretty good chance to get a clean sheet imo.

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          2. CoracAld2831
            • 5 Years
            1 month, 17 days ago

            Yes that is possible, but it would require a lot of getting and settling on players you would never normally go for.

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  9. CoracAld2831
    • 5 Years
    1 month, 16 days ago

    You can actually get a pretty decent team with 15 different captains and with 1.4m left some flexibility as well. You have to ignore 9 matches completely (the most unpredictable + some others), but you can do it if you want.

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  10. bso
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 11 Years
    1 month, 16 days ago

    Is Rochet are starter?
    Thanks

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