EFC Brief

For Everton eyes, this one belongs to Senegal. Idrissa Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye both start, giving the Toffees two current players on the same pitch at a World Cup — the kind of afternoon that makes a Goodison heart beat a little faster. Gueye, at Everton since 2016 (with that Paris detour in between), remains the midfield metronome, while Ndiaye brings the flair that's lit up his debut Toffees season. Belgium counter with a roster thick in EFC-linked names — Courtois, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Doku and Castagne — though none carry the blue-and-white weight of Gueye and Ndiaye actually pulling on the shirt every week. It's a neat contrast: loose ties against the real thing. Keep the focus on the two Everton men. If Gueye can shield and Ndiaye can find space between Belgium's lines, Senegal fans and Toffees supporters will be cheering in unison at kickoff.