Argentina vs Switzerland First Goalscorer Prediction & Best Bets Tonight World Cup 2026

Chris Beck

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Argentina vs Switzerland: First Goalscorer Prediction & Best Bets Tonight | World Cup 2026 Quarterfinal

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🥇 WORLD CUP 2026 · QUARTERFINAL · FIRST GOALSCORER · TONIGHT · ALL ODDS FANDUEL

Argentina vs Switzerland · Tonight, Saturday July 11 · Kickoff 9:00 PM ET · Kansas City Stadium · FOX

Argentina vs Switzerland: First Goalscorer Prediction & Best Bets

Full first goalscorer board · Who breaks the deadlock · All odds FanDuel

Messi +260 · Lautaro +430 · Álvarez +440

Must be 21+ · Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER · FanDuel Sportsbook

⚡ THIS MARKET COVERS 90 MINUTES PLUS STOPPAGE TIME ONLY — EXTRA TIME AND PENALTIES DON'T COUNT, OWN GOALS DON'T COUNT · MESSI'S +260 IS THE BOARD'S SHORTEST PRICE, WITH LAUTARO AND ÁLVAREZ TIED CLOSE BEHIND · NO GOALSCORER SITS AT +750, SHORTER THAN EVERY PLAYER EXCEPT THAT TOP THREE — A GENUINE SIGNAL OF HOW LOW-EVENT THE OPENING STRETCH COULD BE GIVEN SWITZERLAND'S DEFENSIVE RECORD · KICKOFF 9PM ET TONIGHT

Match Details · Kickoff Tonight

🇦🇷 Argentina vs Switzerland 🇨🇭 · 9PM ET · Kansas City Stadium · FOX

Argentina -325 to advance · Johan Manzambi confirmed out for Switzerland

→ SF vs NOR/ENG

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Important: This Is a Single-Winner Market

Unlike anytime goalscorer, only one player can win a first goalscorer bet — whoever scores the match's opening goal. That makes the payouts considerably bigger than anytime markets, but also means picking the right player matters much more. This covers 90 minutes plus stoppage time only; extra time and penalty shootouts don't count, and own goals don't count either.

📖 First Goalscorer Market Overview

This board is dominated by Argentina's front two, and rightly so. Lionel Messi's +260 is comfortably the shortest price — he leads the tournament's Golden Boot race with 8 goals and has scored in six consecutive competitive internationals. Lautaro Martínez (+430) and Julián Álvarez (+440) sit closely tied right behind him, a direct reflection of Scaloni's genuine selection dilemma over which starts alongside Messi tonight.

One number worth sitting with: No Goalscorer — meaning the match stays scoreless through 90 minutes — sits at +750, shorter than every single player on the board except that top trio of Messi, Lautaro and Álvarez. That's a genuine, direct reflection of Switzerland's defensive record: they haven't conceded a goal in regulation during any knockout game this tournament, and a cagey, goalless opening stretch is a real possibility even against Argentina's individual quality. Breel Embolo's +950 is Switzerland's clear top play, elevated by Manzambi's confirmed absence.

📋 Full First Goalscorer Board — FanDuel (90 Min Only)

FanDuel Sportsbook · First Goalscorer · 90 Min + Stoppage Only · Live Tonight

🇦🇷 Argentina Scorers Messi holds the board's outright shortest price

Lionel Messi FW · Captain

Comfortably the board's shortest price · ⭐ OUR TOP PICK

+260

Lautaro Martínez FW

Slightly shorter than Álvarez in this market

+430

Julián Álvarez FW

Genuine selection choice vs Lautaro

+440

Enzo Fernández MF

Scored the winning header vs Egypt

+1100

Leandro Paredes MF

Confirmed starting role in midfield

+1300

Alexis Mac Allister MF

Attacking midfield option

+1500

Gonzalo Montiel · Rodrigo De Paul DEF/MF

Attacking full-back and midfield options

+2000

Nicolás Tagliafico LB

Overlapping full-back option

+2200

Nahuel Molina · Cristian Romero DEF

Attacking full-back and set-piece options

+2700

Lisandro Martínez CB

Set-piece aerial option

+3300

Facundo Medina DEF · ⚠️ Minor knock

A live alternate at left-back

+4000

🇨🇭 Switzerland Scorers Embolo is Switzerland's only real threat here

Breel Embolo ST

Comfortably Switzerland's shortest price · ⭐ TOP SWITZERLAND PLAY

+950

Dan Ndoye FW

Confirmed starting on the wing

+1700

Ruben Vargas FW · In line to start

Scored the winning penalty vs Colombia

+1900

Fabian Rieder · Granit Xhaka · Ardon Jashari MF

Midfield options, Jashari in for Manzambi

+2700 / +2700 / +3000

Remo Freuler CM

Box-to-box midfielder

+3500

Miro Muheim LB

A live alternate at left-back

+4000

Denis Zakaria · Manuel Akanji DEF

Set-piece aerial options

+5000

Nico Elvedi · Ricardo Rodríguez DEF

Longest prices on the board

+6000 / +6500

No Goalscorer

Neither side scores in the first 90 minutes

+750

All odds FanDuel Sportsbook · 90 min + stoppage time only, no ET/PKs, own goals don't count · Live tonight

⭐ First Goalscorer Picks — Ranked

⭐ #1 · Confirmed FanDuel Price · The Board's Shortest Price

Lionel Messi — First Goalscorer

Golden Boot leader with 8 goals

+260

$10→$36

No player in this match is remotely as likely to be the one who breaks the deadlock — his current form and central role in everything Argentina does well make him the clear top choice here.

Verdict · Confirmed +260, board favorite · 2 units

The clearest single-name pick on this board.

⭐ #2 · Confirmed FanDuel Price · A Genuine Selection Coin-Flip

Lautaro Martínez — First Goalscorer

Slightly shorter than Álvarez in this market

+430

$10→$53

Whichever forward Scaloni starts alongside Messi tonight gets a direct benefit from playing next to the tournament's most dangerous individual attacker — check the confirmed lineup before locking this in.

Verdict · Confirmed +430, tied near the board's second tier · 1 unit

Confirm the starting striker first.

⭐ #3 · Confirmed FanDuel Price · The Cagey-Start Hedge

No Goalscorer

Shorter than every player but the top 3

+750

$10→$85

Switzerland hasn't conceded a goal in regulation during any knockout game this tournament — a genuine coverage bet if you're worried about a cagey, low-event opening 90 against a defensively resolute opponent.

Verdict · Confirmed +750, a real hedge option · Small stake only

Backed directly by Switzerland's defensive numbers.

⭐ #4 · Confirmed FanDuel Price · Switzerland's Clear Top Play

Breel Embolo — First Goalscorer

Elevated by Manzambi's confirmed absence

+950

$10→$105

If Switzerland does strike first, it's overwhelmingly likely to be Embolo — the clear focal point of an attack that's genuinely thinner tonight without Manzambi.

Verdict · Confirmed +950, a genuine longshot given the class gap · Small stake only

Switzerland's only realistic scoring route.

📊 Picks Summary — Ranked With Live FanDuel Odds

First Goalscorer Picks · FanDuel · Argentina vs Switzerland · Tonight 9PM ET

⭐⭐⭐ Lionel Messi

Board's shortest price · 2 units

+260

⭐⭐ Lautaro Martínez

Confirm the starter first · 1 unit

+430

⭐ No Goalscorer

Real hedge, backed by Switzerland's defense · Small stake only

+750

⭐ Breel Embolo

Switzerland's only real threat · Small stake only

+950

🎯 First Goalscorer Betting Notes

Why First Goalscorer Over Anytime

Bigger payouts for the same core read

Messi's anytime price is +100 versus +260 here — a considerably bigger multiplier for backing the same underlying belief that he's the most likely goalscorer.

The Trade-Off

Only one winner per match, no partial credit

Unlike anytime markets, a player scoring the second or third goal doesn't cash this bet — precision matters more here than volume of goalscoring threats.

⚠️ This first goalscorer market covers 90 minutes plus stoppage time only — extra time and penalties don't count. Own goals don't count. Confirm lineups before betting. Must be 21+. Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER.

FanDuel Sportsbook · Argentina vs Switzerland First Goalscorer · Tonight · Kickoff 9PM ET

Bet First Goalscorer Props on FanDuel Now

Messi +260 · Lautaro +430 · Álvarez +440

Bet Now

All odds FanDuel Sportsbook, live tonight · First goalscorer covers 90 minutes plus stoppage time only — extra time and penalty shootouts do not count, own goals do not count · Lionel Messi +260 · Lautaro Martinez +430 · Julian Alvarez +440 · No Goalscorer +750 · Breel Embolo +950 · Enzo Fernandez +1100 · Leandro Paredes +1300 · Alexis Mac Allister +1500 · Dan Ndoye +1700 · Ruben Vargas +1900 · Gonzalo Montiel +2000 · Rodrigo De Paul +2000 · Nicolas Tagliafico +2200 · Fabian Rieder +2700 · Granit Xhaka +2700 · Nahuel Molina +2700 · Cristian Romero +2700 · Ardon Jashari +3000 · Lisandro Martinez +3300 · Remo Freuler +3500 · Facundo Medina +4000 · Miro Muheim +4000 · Denis Zakaria +5000 · Manuel Akanji +5000 · Nico Elvedi +6000 · Ricardo Rodriguez +6500 · Argentina To Advance -325 / Switzerland +250 · Johan Manzambi confirmed out for Switzerland · Kansas City Stadium, Kansas City MO · Tonight, Saturday July 11, kickoff 9:00 PM ET · FOX/Telemundo · Winner faces Norway/England winner in the Semifinal · Must be 21+ · Gambling Problem? 1-800-GAMBLER

Does Messi score the first goal tonight in Argentina’s World Cup match? Get up to $1,000 in Bet Reset Tokens when you bet $5 daily for the next 5 days. You'll receive $200 in Bet Resets every day you qualify! See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today's other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Which World Cup bets stand out to you? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's World Cup odds to see the full menu of options.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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