The two pre-tournament favorites to win the 2026 World Cup will meet in the semifinal round on Tuesday, July 14 when France take on Spain for the right to play in the final on Sunday, July 19. France have overtaken La Furia Roja when it comes to title odds, but Spain have rounded into form over the course of the competition and will provide a stiff challenge for Les Bleus.
France's Kylian Mbappe is tied for the Golden Boot lead with Lionel Messi but has the tiebreaker based on assists. Will he add another goal to his tally on Tuesday or will Spain's airtight defense prevent him and France's other stars from finding the back of the net? We've highlighted our favorite goalscorer picks for Tuesday with odds from FanDuel.
Those looking to make goalscorer picks and more wagers on France vs. Spain should see what SportsLine experts Jon Eimer, Martin Green, Brandt Sutton, Brad Thomas and Matt Severance are saying. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Best World Cup goalscorer picks for Tuesday
- Ousmane Dembele (+240, FanDuel)
- Bradley Barcola (+320, FanDuel)
- Mikel Merino (+400, FanDuel)
Ousmane Dembele (+240)
After registering a hat trick against Norway in the final group stage match, Dembele was relatively quiet for France's first two knockout games. He did double his team's lead against Morocco in the 2-0 win, and perhaps that goal will wake him up ahead of a tough semifinal challenge. Spain have only given up one goal in this tournament and are likely to focus on Mbappe, so Dembele is a strong alternative play here.
Bradley Barcola (+320)
Similar to Dembele, Barcola has been fairly muted despite scoring two goals for Les Bleus. He found the back of the net in France's win over Sweden but has not scored in the last two games. Barcola has generally not been a household name, though that's largely because of the teammates he plays with. Spain are likely to focus most of their defensive resources on Mbappe and that'll open things up for the others, including Barcola.
Mikel Merino (+400)
Mikel Oyarzabal has more goals in the tournament for Spain but it's been Merino who has scored in back-to-back games for La Furia Roja. He provided the winning moment against both Portugal and Belgium, so he's on a bit of a hot streak heading into this semifinal. For as much as we've discussed Spain in defense, France have not conceded a goal in the knockout round yet. Spain have often struggled to put away easy chances with lazy finishing, and that's where a more calm presence like Merino's has helped. He offers more value than Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal, especially with his recent scoring streak.
