Fantasy guru Paul Spiller shares his tips for success

Paul Spiller, the winner of last year's FIFA Club World Cup fantasy game, has turned his attention to the FIFA World Cup Fantasy, powered by Aramco. Speaking exclusively to FIFA from his home in Bristol, England, Spiller shared his tips for success and revealed his Round 1 line-up.

Spiller's Path to Victory

Last year, Spiller pulled off a remarkable comeback in the FIFA Club World Cup game. Heading into the final day, he needed to bridge a 30-place gap to the top of the leaderboard. He took a gamble by stacking his squad with Chelsea players, a move that paid off when the English side defeated Paris Saint-Germain in the final. Now, he aims to replicate that success on the international stage.

Round 1 Squad Selection

Spiller's core squad includes Joshua Kimmich, Marc Cucurella, Bruno Fernandes, Florian Wirtz, and Mikel Oyarzabal. He initially considered Erling Haaland but decided to include him in the squad rather than using the 12th Man Booster, because the 12th Man cannot be captained. This means he will likely use the 12th Man Booster in Round 2, when France, Germany, Spain, and England all have favorable fixtures.

Spiller was keen on Lamine Yamal but cited uncertainty over his fitness and expected minutes as reasons for leaving him out. He also initially included Cristiano Ronaldo but switched to Kai Havertz after Havertz's strong performances in recent friendlies. That change allowed him to upgrade his midfield, replacing James Rodriguez with Luis Diaz. Spiller noted that James is likely to be substituted early, while Diaz offers greater upside after an excellent season.

His final midfield spots go to Raphinha and Michael Olise. Spiller expects Brazil assets to be highly sought after in Round 2, and Olise's hat-trick in a recent friendly convinced him to include the French midfielder. He anticipates multiple French and Brazilian players will be popular picks for their second matches.

Defensive and Goalkeeping Choices

Spiller's final decisions involved his goalkeepers and budget defenders. He originally considered Daniel Munoz but learned that Munoz is less attacking for Colombia than at club level. Instead, he opted for Johan Mojica ($3.9m) as his Colombian defender and doubled up with Camilo Vargas in goal. His fourth defender is Julian Ryerson, who has had an excellent season. Uruguay's strong clean-sheet potential made Mathias Olivera an easy selection given his secure starting spot. Ecuador also look capable of defensive returns, so Spiller chose Hernan Galindez as his second goalkeeper.

Booster Strategy and Transfers

Spiller's booster strategy is straightforward: he will use the 12th Man Booster in either Round 1 or 2, then activate his Wildcard in Round 3 to take advantage of identifying teams that have already qualified and players at risk of being rested. As he did during the Club World Cup, he is saving the Maximum Captain booster for the final, when rotation should be minimal, giving the best chance of backing a player capable of a double-digit return.

His current plan is to transfer Erling Haaland to Kylian Mbappe in Round 2, while using the 12th Man Booster on either Vinicius Jr. or Harry Kane. His other transfer will likely be used to swap out Ryerson unless a more pressing issue arises.