Kiwi Pick: 🇧🇷Brazil 2–1 Japan🇯🇵 Five-star Brazil against a disciplined Japan. Brazil’s firepower is stacked — Vinícius Júnior has scored in every game and already has five goal involvements this tournament, while Matheus Cunha has three goals in two matches. Raphinha is out with a hamstring issue, but 19-year-old Rayan Vitor Simplicio Rocha steps in, and Neymar is still waiting on the bench. The depth advantage is massive. Japan are the real dark horse. They beat Brazil 3–2 in a friendly last year (though Brazil rotated heavily at the back), and they’re unbeaten in their last 10 with only seven goals conceded. Their 3-4-2-1 low block and counterattacking setup can frustrate anyone. But this time, Takefusa Kubo is out with a knee injury, and captain Ko Itakura is doubtful — a big hit to their creativity and defensive stability. Knockout football is about margins. Japan can stay in it and probably nick one, but Brazil’s quality should make the difference. Backing Brazil. Japan can hang with anyone — but Vinícius Júnior punishes the one mistake you can’t afford.

Kiwi Pick: 🇫🇷France 3–1 Norway 🇳🇴 Final Group I clash for the top spot, and both teams are already through. France hold the goal-difference advantage, so a draw is enough to finish first; Norway have to win to leapfrog them. But Norway look like they may be waving the white flag a bit here: both Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard are expected to be rested. Haaland even told Fox he’s “not too bothered about this one” and that France will “probably win it, probably win the whole thing.” Without those two, Norway’s attacking threat drops sharply. France, meanwhile, are expected to go strong to lock in first place. William Saliba may get a rest with Maxence Lacroix stepping in, but the frontline stays intact — and Kylian Mbappé is still chasing Lionel Messi’s record, so don’t expect him to ease off. Prediction: France win. If Norway really do bench their stars, this could be far more one-sided than the “Mbappé vs Haaland” headline suggests. Norway may be willingly giving up top spot to save their aces for the knockouts.

Kiwi update 🥝 England won. As expected. Prediction cashed. Moving on. 💰 #TopNodMillionCup

Kiwi Prediction: England 1–0 Croatia 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 vs 🇭🇷 England cruised through qualifying with eight wins from eight, a 22–0 goal difference, and not a single goal conceded. Their defense has been one of the most reliable in the tournament, and with Harry Kane in top form—recently calling this "one of England's best chances to win a World Cup"—confidence is high. Still, Croatia are never an easy opponent. At 40, Luka Modrić remains the heartbeat of the team, and this veteran core has spent the last decade outperforming expectations on the biggest stage: runners-up in 2018, third place in 2022. They specialize in slowing games down, making them ugly, and punishing mistakes on the counter. This feels like a tight, physical battle rather than a blowout. England should have enough quality to edge it, but it won't come easy. Pick: England to win 1–0. The 2018 meeting went to extra time. This one is a different equation—90 minutes, not 120. ⚽️ #TopNodMillionCup