Sponsored by Sport.Fun

Following the conclusion of the first round of Group Stages fixtures, it’s time for the second tournament in the free-to-play Sport.Fun World Cup game, which combines Fantasy Football and trading for a $30k prize pool. This tournament runs from 17th-23rd June.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Marc Cucurella and Lionel Messi have seen their share prices increase following stellar Round One performances. In contrast, Lamine Yamal is trending downwards after his benching against Cape Verde.

HOW TO PLAY

Ultimately, it’s about ending on as many Skill Rating (SR) points as possible, which can be earned from actions like goals, assists, clean sheets, saves, shots on target and big chances created.

But be careful – some negative actions are also punished!

• Start with 2,800 Gold to buy shares and build an eight-man squad.
• Player values are currently between 0.99 and 7.14 Gold per share.
• Select five of your squad for each Matchday (provided you own 100+ shares of that individual).
• In emergencies, you can temporarily loan another player, where points have a slight penalty.

• READ MORE: How to play Sport.Fun during World Cup 2026

TOP PICKS FOR MATCHDAY 2

So, with the first round of matches complete, Fantasy managers now have insights into which players could thrive in Matchday 2.

Here are six players to spend Gold on.

Enner Valencia (Ecuador) – 1.00 per share

After Germany put seven past Curacao on Sunday, Ecuador will fancy their chances in Matchday 2.

In a must-win encounter, Enner Valencia could subsequently deliver as the focal point of Sebastian Beccacece’s attack.

On penalties and direct free-kicks, the veteran forward has a proven track record in tournament football, having scored all of Ecuador’s goals at the 2014 World Cup.

Ecuador suffered a 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast in Matchday 1, but were a bit unlucky, hitting the woodwork three times.

Kylian Mbappe (France) – 7.15 per share

After a quiet first half, Kylian Mbappe burst into life and emerged from Matchday 1 with 154 SR points, adding four shots on target to his brace of goals.

One of the favourites to win the World Cup, France face Iraq next, who looked suspect at the back in their opener against Norway, conceding four times.

It bodes well for France’s all-time top scorer, Mbappe. 

Pedri (Spain) – 3.07 per share

Pedri is widely considered one of the best midfielders in the world, and for good reason.

Despite failing to score or assist against Cape Verde, the Spaniard still racked up 139 SR points in Matchday 1, ranking third among all midfielders, primarily due to his passing accuracy in the opponent’s half.

We expect a continuation of that output against Saudi Arabia in Matchday 2. Set-piece taker Pedri might even produce a goal or an assist this time, having netted in a recent friendly against Peru.

Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey) – 3.00 per share

Hakan Calhanoglu is responsible for all set-pieces for Turkey, including penalties.

Next, he will face Paraguay, who were completely outplayed by the United States in Matchday 1, conceding four times.

Although Turkey also fell to defeat, they created numerous opportunities against Australia. Calhanoglu recorded five shots and four key passes in that match.

Joel Ordonez (Ecuador) – 1.00 per share

Tipped as a potential dark horse before the tournament, Ecuador meet Curacao in Matchday 2.

A threat from set plays, centre-back Joel Ordonez could conjure up a very decent score.

Ecuador rank highly on the Round 2 clean sheet odds list, so there is real shut-out potential. Remember, Sebastian Beccacece’s men conceded only five goals in 18 World Cup qualifying matches.

Ordonez could pick up additional SR points for clearances, too, having racked up eight against the Ivory Coast.

Yassine Bounou (Morocco) – 2.00 per share

Morocco picked up a well-deserved point against Brazil in Matchday 1. They are now set to face Scotland, in what could be a tight, low-scoring affair in Boston.

Yassine Bounou was beaten by a superb Vinicius Junior strike in that aforementioned opener, yet he made four important saves to deny Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

2022 World Cup semi-finalists Morocco could subsequently be a team to back against Scotland, who were frequently troubled by Haiti in Matchday 1.

CLICK HERE TO PLAY SPORT.FUN