Best World Cup Goal Scorer Bets Today (Bet on Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola in France vs. Morocco)

The first quarterfinal matchup in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set for July 9, and it’s a rematch of the 2022 semifinals.
France and Kylian Mbappe – a Golden Boot contender – will take on Morocco, as both teams have rolled through the knockout rounds to set up the third head-to-head meeting in their history.
Morocco lost the 2022 semifinals match 2-0, and it’s set as an underdog on Thursday afternoon. So, how should bettors attack this match when it comes to goal scorer props?
I’m targeting two players for France to find the back of the net, as Morocco’s offense hasn’t been through a singular option, resulting in no player being set at shorter than +320 odds to score in this quarterfinal match.
Best World Cup Goal Scorer Bets for Thursday, July 9
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Kylian Mbappe Anytime Goal Scorer (-125)
Mbappe has scored in four of his five appearances in the 2026 World Cup, putting him firmly in the mix to win the Golden Boot.
He has seven goals overall, scoring multiple times in three of his five games. So, I don’t mind this price, even against a Morocco team that has allowed just four goals in this entire tournament.
Mbappe didn’t score in the semifinal win over Morocco in 2022, but he’s been extremely involved in 2026, taking 26 shots across five matches while putting a whopping 17 of those shots on goal. He has at least two shots on goal in every single match.
Since there’s only one game on Thursday, it’s hard to have arguably the best scorer in the world on the board and pass him up. I’ll trust Mbappe to get it done this afternoon.
Bradley Barcola Anytime Goal Scorer (+255)
Barcola has two goals in the 2026 World Cup, even though he’s attempted just six shots.
Half of those shots have been on goal, and Barcola has now started back-to-back matches for France, registering four shots, two shots on goal and one goal in that stretch.
If Morocco sells out to slow down Mbappe, Barcola isn’t a bad bet at this price. He scored once in four World Cup qualifying matches in the 2025-26 season, and he scored 11 times in 29 matches in Ligue 1.
With France favored to advance to the semis, I think it’s worth betting on two players to find the back of the net on Thursday.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Peter is the associate managing editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, betting and more. He is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.