EFC Brief

For Evertonians, this one is all about Lucas Digne. The France left-back spent five years at Goodison after arriving from Barcelona in 2018, and remains the only genuine Blue on show here — everyone else is transfer-window chatter rather than a former favourite. Seeing his name on a confirmed World Cup team sheet is a reminder of the class he brought down the left flank during some lean seasons on Merseyside. Around him, the "EFC-linked" cast is glittering but hypothetical: Mbappé, Dembélé, Rabiot and Maignan for France, with Laporte, Rodri and Cucurella carrying Spain's supposed Goodison connections. Take those with the usual pinch of salt. Kick-off is 3:00 PM ET, and with two of the tournament's heavyweights meeting, the football should do the talking. Keep an eye on Digne's duel down his side — a familiar figure in an unfamiliar shirt, and comfortably our man to follow.