Good Morning ☀️,

It’s Lucas here, your Chief Predictions Officer at What Are the Odds?

Have you ever seen an idea so bad that you couldn’t help but facepalm? Today, we think we found one in the upcoming Egypt vs Iran match. But more on that soon.

First, here’s what’s ahead.

What’s ahead in today’s edition of What Are the Odds?:

• A really, really bad idea. 🤦

• Today’s complete match schedule. 🗓️

• Our top pick of the day. ✅

Sharing is caring: Help grow the team and show your friends you care — send them this link https://whataretheodds.io/subscribe

🇨🇼 Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast 🇨🇮

• Group: Group E

• Time: 16:00 ET

• Venue: Lincoln Financial Field

• Location: Philadelphia

🇪🇨 Ecuador vs. Germany 🇩🇪

• Group: Group E

• Time: 16:00 ET

• Venue: MetLife Stadium

• Location: East Rutherford, New Jersey

🇯🇵 Japan vs. Sweden 🇸🇪

• Group: Group F

• Time: 19:00 ET

• Venue: AT&T Stadium

• Location: Arlington, Texas

🇹🇳 Tunisia vs. Netherlands 🇳🇱

• Group: Group F

• Time: 19:00 ET

• Venue: Arrowhead Stadium

• Location: Kansas City

🇹🇷 Türkiye vs. USA 🇺🇸

• Group: Group D

• Time: 22:00 ET

• Venue: SoFi Stadium

• Location: Inglewood, California

🇵🇾 Paraguay vs. Australia 🇦🇺

• Group: Group D

• Time: 22:00 ET

• Venue: Levi’s Stadium

• Location: Santa Clara, California

Want to get the best odds on today’s matches?

Yesterday, we stumbled on this news about the upcoming Egypt vs Iran match. To give you the gist of it, here’s a copy-paste of the opening paragraph:

“Seattle's LGBTQ community members say they hope that this Friday's World Cup "Pride Match" between Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is criminalised, can be an opportunity ​to change minds.”

At this point, we still haven’t looked into the specifics, so we’re not entirely sure what’s planned here. But even so, we probably already know enough to say one thing.

This sounds like a really bad idea.

Now, don’t get us wrong here — this has nothing to do with being pro-/anti-LGBTQ.  Not at all. Our personal beliefs have no bearing on this.

Instead, this is all about the apparent “opportunity” a so-called Pride Match is said to represent — “an opportunity ​to change minds.”

That’s the bad idea.

Why?

Because the real world just doesn’t work like this.

If you’re on the anti- side of the issue at hand here, then you probably already know why — your mind’s already made up enough that it’s going to take a whole lot more than a bunch of flags and slogans at a game to change it.

If, on the other hand, you’re on the pro- side of this issue and you still don’t see why this is a bad idea, then ask yourself this — if a bunch of people coopted another match to wave a bunch of anti-LGBTQ flags and slogans, what impact would that have on your current beliefs and attitudes?

Exactly.

At best, your mind’s not getting changed. At worst, the whole thing would be read more as an act of provocation/humiliation than an act of loving persuasion.

So that begs the question — why do it?

Now, we get it. There’s an argument to be made here about the nobility of standing up and fighting for a cause you believe in. But, as we keep saying, there’s a time and a place. And this isn’t really the time or the place.

And no, this isn’t us leaning on the usual naive “keep politics out of sport” line. Sport is never fully apolitical.

But here’s the thing — if the World Cup has one social function — one real “opportunity” — that few other events have, it’s that it often creates a shared space where people who disagree about almost everything else can still come together and find a common ground.

Arguably, that’s a precious commodity in this day and age. So why ruin it by using a fixture as a values referendum when, ultimately, it’s simply going to turn a game that might otherwise unite into yet another front in the eternal culture war?

⚽ Curaçao vs Ivory Coast
🏟️ 2026 FIFA World Cup
📅 Thursday 25 June; 22:00 (Europe/Paris)

• Why we’re watching: Can Curacao become the little nation that could and complete a group stage dream run? That’s what’s got us hooked.

• Top 3 Stats:

  • Curacao is #81 in the FIFA World Rankings, and has 0W/1D/1L with 1 goal scored and 7 conceded after 2 matches played.

    Ivory Coast is #31 in the FIFA World Rankings, and has 1W/0D/1L with 2 goals scored and 2 conceded after 2 matches played.

    These two have never met in a head-to-head fixture in the past.

• CXSports says: Between holding Ecuador to a draw and getting a goal against Germany, Curacao has been one of those little surprise packet stories at this year’s World Cup. So now they’re tied for points with Ecuador in Group E, everyone’s wondering whether the dream run can continue through to a group stage qualification.
  
  On one hand, their chances look bleak — their goal difference (-6) got absolutely wrecked in the match against Germany. So even if they manage to climb into third place in Group E, qualifying for one of the third-place finisher spots might be a stretch. But, on the other hand, stranger things have happened.
  
  Of course, when we say “stranger things”, we’re not really alluding to the possibility of a Curacao win here. Unfortunately, that’s probably not on the cards, even if they managed to draw against Ecuador (a similarly-ranked squad to Ivory Coast). The reality from that game was that it was far from a balanced game. While heroic 15 Eloy Room saves might be magnificent, it’s probably also a warning that the entire defensive plan leaned on emergency miracles. The 7 goals conceded to Germany only backs that up.
  
  It’s also hard to see how Curacao’s attack stands much of a chance here. Much like the draw against Ecuador, that goal against Germany wasn’t the result of any sort of repeatable tactical execution, and was probably more a case of a little good luck. ESPN’s commentary — “GOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL! WHERE HAS THIS COME FROM?!” — probably sums it up best.
  
  As for Ivory Coast — well, they’ve been respectable. The managed 1-0 against Ecuador, and pushed back hard against Germany before losing by 2-1, and now sit on 3 points with a simple incentive in place — take a clean win and stop worrying about third-place arithmetic.
  
  With that said, this probably won’t be a massacre. Curaçao’s structure and Room’s clearly brilliant form has a chance of dragging this match deep into the trenches for long spells. Although, if Ivory Coast manages to edge ahead and force Curaçao to go on the offense, then the survival tactics might start crumbling, which could be an interesting turn.
  
  In any case, as much as we’d love to sell this one as an underdog story, Curacao’s chances here just aren’t that great. As such, we’re tipping this one to be a reasonably clean victory for Ivory Coast as a base case. But, we’ll still admit there’s an outside chance of another Curacao miracle — but don’t expect that to result in anything more than a draw.

• Score prediction: 0-2 for Ivory Coast or 1-1 Draw

Bet Option #1

• Bet: Double Chance (Ivory Coast / Draw)

• Odds Range: 1.01-1.03

Bet Option #2

• Bet: Ivory Coast Victory

• Odds Range: 1.09-1.23

Make your sportsbook work for you!

That’s a wrap for today. Tomorrow, we’re back as the group stage heads into its penultimate day, with Norway vs. France, Senegal vs. Iraq, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, Uruguay vs. Spain, Egypt vs. Iran, and New Zealand vs. Belgium on the cards.

Until then, go forth and enjoy the football.