Thierry Henry
Former France and Arsenal striker

"Andrea Pirlo is a total nightmare to defend against. I have been in the situation where I had to handle him but he always seems as though he is alone. He goes away from everyone casually. It is very difficult to handle because whatever you do he will find some space."

Former England midfielder Danny Murphy

Image source, Getty Images

"Credit to Roy for being so positive with his selection. Rooney needs to stay disciplined and hold his position on the left in the first 20 minutes to allow Raheem Sterling to show us what he can do

"On match days Roy is usually very calm. He'll enjoy it. He'll be determined and nervous because he's got the nation's hopes on his shoulders but the players will see an articulate and calm manager in the changing room.

"Pace is important on the counter. So many people wanted this team, the legs, the energy and now we've got it. They've picked the right team.

"I'm positive and I think England will win by the odd goal."

Former Italy and Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli:

"It's a big stage, an important stage for Mario (Balotelli) to establish himself as one of the best strikers in the world."

BBC Sport Chief Football Writer Phil McNulty in Manaus

"The teams are currently being read out and when Mario Balotelli's name appeared on the giant screens on either side of the stadium, he received a huge cheer."

Image source, AFP

There's a lot of support for Italy in the stadium. They seem to have got the Brazilian vote.

Thierry Henry has charmed me a bit here, I'm getting more optimistic by the minute...

Alan Shearer
BBC Sport

"This is Wayne Rooney's biggest game for England. He has to go out and perform and score goals. If England don't get a good result you can imagine what the press will be like and Wayne will bear the brunt of it.

"He scored in a recent friendly against Ecuador and you saw the relief on his face. Now he needs to do it when it matters."

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand

"Wayne Rooney goes on runs and notches one, two or three games in a bounce and the confidence builds.

"People are talking about whether he should start or not and having done what he's done in and England shirt, he'll be wanting to prove people wrong."

Thierry Henry
Former France and Arsenal striker on BBC1

"I like the way Wayne Rooney plays. He is one of the strikers I like because if he doesn't score he is still useful for the team. It is time for him to score in the World Cup and have a good one though."

Wayne Rooney has not scored a goal in 594 minutes of World Cup football for the Three Lions., while 15 of England's last 19 goals at World Cups have come before half-time.

Get into 'em...

Alan Shearer
BBC Sport

"Picking Raheem Sterling is a positive sign. His form for Liverpool in the last few months has been exceptional and apparently the way he has been performing in training he deserves to start."

Gary Cahill (Chelsea) is the only man in the England side who doesn't play in Manchester or Liverpool. It's the M62 brigade in Manaus...

Image source, AFP

Paul: Feel more connected to the England team than ever as a scouser with so many in the squad either hailing from Merseyside or plying their trade there at the moment! Come on lads!

Roy Hodgson speaking to BBC1: "In most games so far you've seen 14 men used but heat and humidity hasn't entered our thinking other than our preparation. When the sun goes down the temperatures will be like last night and they were good."

Image source, AFP

Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live

"Roy Hodgson has put in round pegs in round holes. So many times the England side has seemed makeshift at major tournaments, but we look at this team and pretty much each player plays there for their club.

"He's changed the formation recently to accommodate that. This England team has balance, pace, it has everything. Of course you need a bit of luck but we have players in this team who are full of confidence. Can they take that into the opening 30 minutes of this game?"

If you missed any of Costa Rica's superb win over Uruguay, the highlights are now live on the site.

You can view them here.

The humidity is around 50% right now. In Manaus, it's a bit cooler than that in Salford.

Wayne Rooney could be sweating like Andy Fordham on the oche by half-time.

Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live

"Steven Gerrard has matured into a fine captain and a fine leader.

"He has had a hugely disappointing season not to win the league with Liverpool but his focus will solely be on the World Cup. As a player, you would happily give away two or three Champions League medals to win it. It is the biggest stage."

Stevie Wonder time.

Stevie Gerrard time. Get BBC One on or watch at the top of the screen. We are go!

Image source, Getty Images

Capacity: 42,374 Opened: March 2014 Altitude: 72m (236ft)

Time Zone: GMT -4 hours.

Approximate distance from Rio: 2,659 miles.

Background: The capital of the state of Amazonas, Manaus is the furthest north of the host cities. It is renowned for its tropical heat and tropical storms. Highs are a toasty 30C with a 40% chance of thunderstorms in June, with humidity up to 80%.

Construction was overshadowed by the deaths of three workers in accidents. Two were killed in separate falls in March and November 2013, while another died in February 2014 following an accident involving the dismantling of a crane. A fourth worker died of a heart attack on site last year.

The first six games of World Cup 2014 have produced 22 goals, in 2010 the first six games had brought just eight goals.

But now Danny Welbeck and co get a go...