Best Bets for Day 1 World Cup Anytime Goalscorers

On Day 1 of the men’s FIFA World Cup, identifying the early stars is a matter of research. Finding the Day 1 World Cup anytime goalscorers requires looking at qualifiers and friendlies to see where teams like to send the ball.

With all four teams in Group A liking their chances, goals might be hard to come by. Teams tend to play more cautious early in the World Cup, as a bad result can ruin the entire tournament.

There’s one exception: Mexico. The host country knows it has an opportunity at the Azteca, where it has a staggering 40-7-2 record in competitive matches. With South Africa struggling in its preparation, El Tri wants to make a statement and put itself in position to win the group.

With that in mind, these are some of the best bets for Day 1 World Cup anytime goalscorers.

Raul Jimenez, Mexico (+150, DraftKings)

Jimenez has been Mexico’s main goal scorer for the past year-plus, and he’s coming off scoring 21 goals in two years at Fulham. As one of the host countries, Mexico has mostly been playing friendlies, so the best strategy is to go back to El Tri’s last competitive tournament.

That was the 2025 Gold Cup, and Jimenez came up big when Mexico needed it most. In both the semifinal against Honduras and the final against the USMNT, Jimenez found the net. He’s coming off scoring against Serbia, and Mexico’s likely to try to open up South Africa’s defense.

That’s probably going to work, given Bafana Bafana’s defensive weakness. In the Africa Cup of Nations, South Africa allowed a goal in all four of its matches. Mexico’s going to be hunting for goals, and Jimenez will almost certainly get his chance to be one of the first World Cup anytime goalscorers.

Johan Vasquez, Mexico (+1700, DraftKings)

This is a dart, but a sensible one. Vasquez is hot, having scored in both of Mexico’s past two friendly matches. El Tri will likely have several set piece opportunities, and Vasquez has shown an ability to find space.

He’s not a name most people would expect as a scorer, given that he’s on the back line. But with Mexico likely to press the issue, he’s probably going to come up throughout the match. If that happens, he’s likely to get a chance or two for a header.

Opportunities won’t come often for the Genoa captain. But if one does, he’s on form right now.

Patrik Schick, Czechia (+215, Caesars)

The Czechs are back in the World Cup for the first time in 20 years. They face a Korea Republic side that has historically struggled in World Cup openers. The Koreans have failed to win their opening match in their past three World Cups, which is one reason why they’ve failed to advance in three straight World Cups.

That should create opportunities for Czechia, which scored 18 goals in the first round of qualifying and another four in the playoffs. Schick tends to find the net most often for the Czechs, scoring five times in the qualifiers.

Czechia played a 3-4-2-1 last time out against Guatemala, with Schick as the sole forward. They’ll likely try a similar style against the Koreans, which should lead opportunity for Schick as one of the World Cup anytime goalscorers.