Bill Edgar’s guide to week two of the World Cup

Need the all-important stats and facts for week two of the World Cup? We have you covered…

Sunday 14 June

6pm (UK time): Germany v Curacao (Group E)

Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old Curacao coach, was alive at the same time as Harold Wace, who played three times for England in the 1870s. Wace died aged 94 in November 1947, two months after Advocaat was born. 

Tuesday 16 June

8pm: France v Senegal (Group I)

France played their first match in 1904 and Didier Deschamps, whether as a player or in his present role of coach, has been involved in 39 per cent of their victories over their entire history: he has contributed to 183 of their 474 wins, 68 as a player and 115 as a manager. 

Wednesday 17 June

9pm: England v Croatia (Group L)

Only eight players from England’s 2022 World Cup party are in their present squad. Of the 26 teams to have appeared at both tournaments, only Tunisia have retained as few (seven). The eight players: Pickford, Stones, Rice, Jordan Henderson, Bellingham, Saka, Rashford and Kane.

Midnight (Thu morning): Ghana v Panama (Group L)

One quarter of this year’s 48 World Cup teams have been managed by Carlos Queiroz or Dick Advocaat. Queiroz has led Ghana (his present team), South Africa, Qatar, Iran, Egypt, Portugal and Colombia; Advocaat has guided Curacao (present team), South Korea, Netherlands, Belgium and Iraq.

Friday 19 June

8pm: United States v Australia (Group D)

These two teams both have a former Arsenal reserve goalkeeper named Matt/Mat who is wearing the No1 shirt: Matt Turner, of the United States, made seven Arsenal appearances, while Mat Ryan, of Australia, played three times for the Gunners.

11pm: Scotland v Morocco (Group C)

Scotland have never progressed from their group in 12 World Cup/European Championship appearances. The odds on a random team doing this are 20,735 to 1: in eight tournaments there was a one in two chance of not advancing; in the other four the chance was one in three (when most third-placed teams qualified). 

Saturday 20 June

2am: Brazil v Haiti (Group C)

Everton have no players in these squads but their name is evident in both: Brazil have Weverton and Haiti have Leverton Pierre. An omen for Brazil: four of the past seven World Cup winners progressed from Group C – France (1998), Brazil (2002), France (2018) and Argentina (2022).

Sunday 21 June

5am: Tunisia v Japan (Group F)

This will be the one thousandth match in World Cup history. The 104 games contested this summer will be more than were played at the first five tournaments combined: 101 games, from 1930 to 1954. England’s World Cup final victory in 1966 was Game No200 in the tournament.

Photograph by SimonWohlfahrt /AFP via Getty Images