Free 2026 World Cup anytime goalscorer picks, odds: Lamine Yamal, Bruno Fernandes among Thursday’s best bets

Three more knockout matches are set for Thursday, July 2 at the 2026 World Cup, and anyone who wants to try their hand at wagering on anytime goalscorers has plenty of options. Thursday’s Round of 32 World Cup 2026 action kicks off with Austria vs. Spain at 3 p.m. ET, followed by Croatia vs. Portugal at 7 p.m. ET and Algeria vs. Switzerland at 11 p.m. ET. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal are favored at -130 on the money line in the latest FanDuel odds, while Luka Modric and Croatia are +400 underdogs and a 90-minute draw is priced at +250.    

Ronaldo is world football’s all-time leading scorer and is the +115 favorite among anytime goalscorers at FanDuel, but there is value (and a much bigger potential profit) available on other players. Nailing an ATGS pick is one of the toughest things to do in soccer betting, but if you dig in on the odds, you can find solid options beyond the obvious. For more analysis of the 2026 World Cup, you should see what SportsLine experts Jon Eimer, Martin Green and Brad Thomas have to say about the matches. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Thursday

• Lamine Yamal, Spain (+125)
• Bruno Fernandes, Portugal (+270)
• Ibrahim Maza, Algeria (+550)

Lamine Yamal, Spain (+125)

The youngster will be the most electric player on the field and while he might not put in a full 90 minutes, he will have an impact when he’s out there. The 18-year-old was held to one shot against Uruguay but had five shots and a goal in the rout of Saudi Arabia, and La Roja will rely on his creativity in this crucial match. Spain don’t have a ton of clear scoring threats outside Mikel Oyarzabal and Yamal, so one of them is probably going to score here and I’m leaning toward the emerging superstar.

Bruno Fernandes, Portugal (+270)

Ronaldo gets all the accolades, but Fernandes is the steady hand in the Portuguese attack. The Manchester United veteran closed the Premier League season with a goal against Brighton then had another in a friendly with Chile on June 6. I expect him to open his account at the World Cup on Thursday. The 31-year-old has 29 goals in 92 international matches with Portugal. He is one of the most savvy players on the pitch and knows how important this game is. He’ll be looking to come up big.

Ibrahim Maza, Algeria (+550)

The 20-year-old hasn’t been intimidated and has been among the best on the team in terms of expected goals in the past two matches. He has seven shots (three on net) over the past two games, posting a 0.49 xG against Jordan and 0.60 against Austria. Both were the highest among players who failed to score. I’m expecting Maza to break through here. He has started all three games after quickly becoming a starter for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, and he’s just getting started.