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The World Cup fever is well and truly here. The first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will kick off today with a clash between Ecuador and hosts Qatar.
To those FPL managers who're unhappy at the month-long break from FPL midseason, there are World Cup fantasy games to take part in, with the most prominent being the official game launched by FIFA.
With plenty of differences in rules and point-scoringcompared to FPL, this should be an interesting experience for everyone who plays the game.
The pricing in FIFA World Cup fantasy has been pretty lenient, with most managers able to build teams filled with stars from their favourite nations. However, rules regarding transfers and captaincy have been fairly blurry, so we hope the fog around that clears soon.
Whatever your final draft ahead of Matchday 1 is, ensure that you set it up before the deadline on Sunday evening GMT.
Deadline for Transfers: 04:00 pm (GMT)/ 09:30 pm (IST) on Sunday, November 20.
FIFA World Cup 2022 Key Matchday 1 Fixtures
Matchday 1 kicks off with a clash between hosts Qatar and Ecuador on Sunday. On Monday afternoon GMT, England will take on Iran, with Netherlands and Senegal locking horns later on. Argentina take on Saudi Arabia in their first game on Tuesday, with France and Australia squaring off in the last match of the day.
Germany will take on Japan on Wednesday, while Portugal will open their campaign against Ghana on Thursday. The matchday will conclude with Brazil's meeting with Serbia on Thursday night.
Click here to view the complete fixtures of Matchday 1.
Best Fantasy Team for FIFA World Cup 2022 Fantasy: Matchday 1
Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (URU) (£4 million), Saad Al Sheeb (QAT) (£4 million)
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (BEL) (DEF) (£5.5 million), Kieran Tripper (ENG) (£5 million), Borna Sosa (CRO) (£3.5 million), Denzel Dumfries (NED) (£6 million), Joakim Maehle (DEN) (£4.5 million)
Midfielders: Angel Di Maria (ARG) (£8.5 million), Andreas Skov Olsen (DEN) (£6 million), Bernardo Silva (POR) (£9 million), Wahbi Khazri (TUN) (£4.5 million), Steven Bergwijn (NED) (MID) (£7 million)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (ARG) (£10.5 million), Neymar (BRA) (£10.5 million), Kylian Mbappe (FRA) (£11.5 million)
Booster Played: 12th Man- Harry Kane (ENG) (FWD) (£11.0 m)
Setting up the team for the first round of any fantasy game is very tough. Considering we have 32 teams playing in the World Cup, there are a plethora of options to choose from.
The rule changes for this World Cup fantasy may allow us to make transfers during the matchday.
For example, if I see Borna Sosa benched before the Croatia-Morocco game starts, I, allowed to swap him out for another player who hasn't played in MD 1 yet (unlocked player) and will be able to get that player's points for the matchday. That should give you more license to take risks with your transfers as well as maneuver them for maximum impact.
Now that we've covered the transfers part, let's look at the team I'm likely to go with for Matchday 1. I'm going in with two budget shot-stoppers in Uruguay's Sergio Rochet and Qatar's Saad Al Sheeb. That helps free up some funds I could use elsewhere.
In defence, I'm backing players with potential for attacking returns rather than focusing on clean sheets. That's why I haven't gone for Benjamin Pavard, Alex Sandro or Joao Cancelo. While most people would agree that Borna Sosa, Joakim Maehle, and Kieran Trippier are solid picks, there might be some debate over Timothy Castagne's inclusion.
However, Belgium are one of my favourite teams, and with Thomas Meunier out, Castagne is nailed-on to start. I expect him to keep a shutout and provide some attacking returns too.
Tunisia's Wahib Khazri is the enabler in midfield and is likely to play up front. He offers decent value at £4.5 million. Steven Bergwijn and Andreas Skov Olsen are already proving popular picks for the value they provide. Bernardo Silva is my representative from the Portugal attack, but I'm looking at Leroy Sane or Jamal Musiala as an alternative.
I'm doubling up on Argentina's attack with Angel Di Maria and Lionel Messi, and they could well wreak havoc against Saudi Arabia. Kylian Mbappe and Neymar's picks should be pretty self-explanatory. Lastly, I've played my 12th Man booster for this matchday, allowing me to get Harry Kane's points against Iran.
There are lots of captaincy options as well, the best of whom I've highlighted below.
Captaincy Options
Day 1 - Sunday, November 20th: None
Day 2 - Monday, November 21st: Kieran Tripper (ENG) vs IRA, Denzel Dumfries or Steven Bergwijn (NED) vs SEN
Day 3 - Tuesday, November 22nd: Lionel Messi or Angel Di Maria (ARG) vs KSA, or Kylian Mbappe (FRA) vs AUS
Day 4 - Wednesday, November 23rd: Timothy Castagne (BEL) vs CAN
Day 5 - Thursday, November 23rd: Bernardo Silva (POR) vs GHA or Neymar (BRA) vs SRB
