World Cup Goal Scoring Picks, Odds, Predictions for Tuesday, June 23, 2026
One of the biggest stories from Portugal’s first match is that Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t score, with some even making the argument that the prolific player — closing in on 1,000 goals between club and country in a 20-year career that’s had nearly everything aside from World Cup success — shouldn’t even start in his team’s next match.
That comes Tuesday with Os Navegadores facing Uzbekistan, and while his head coach Roberto Martínez is giving indications he’ll start the venerable No. 7 once again, whether he’ll score in his sixth straight World Cup remains a question. (If it happens, it’s looking more likely to come from the penalty spot than from open play.)
The Ronaldo question is one of the more interesting ones heading into Tuesday, which also has England looking to build on its decisive win against Croatia with a test against Ghana, while Colombia faces a DR Congo team that managed to draw Portugal and keep that group interesting, and Croatia faces off against a Panamá side that came close to getting a very ‘Concacaf-ic’ scoreless draw against Ghana before letting in a stoppage-time goal.
Here are three goalscorers to watch on Tuesday. Make sure to check out our World Cup match trends page for daily odds, insights and betting data for each game.
Tuesday’s Best 2026 World Cup Goal Scoring Picks
- Bruno Fernandes, Portugal
- Harry Kane, England (first)
- Luis Diaz, Colombia
Bruno Fernandes, Portugal
Someone has to score for Portugal, especially against an Uzbekistan team that’s lost its last three matches and is at the World Cup for the first time. Bruno Fernandes is one of Portugal’s most talented players, setting a Premier League-record 21 assists in a single season to help the team return to Champions League play.
But he can also score, and with Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal scoring abilities (if not status) in question, he seems a solid candidate to get a goal in this match. Portugal should get at least two in this one, if not more; look for Bruno Fernandes to make an impression on the tournament in this match — and perhaps others to come.
Harry Kane, England (first)
Kane was awesome in England’s masterclass against Croatia, getting the first goal via penalty kick and then the second via a thundering header on a set piece. There were other goalscorers coming through on the very deep and talented Three Lions team, but their opener made clear that Kane will get his goals in this tournament.
Against Ghana, expect more of the same. Ghana was able to keep Panamá scoreless, but Panamá kept its best player out with injury and will be facing a whole new test when lining up against the likes of Kane and his supporting cast. Look for that first goal to come inside of a half hour, and look for the man who has scored more than 500 career goals between club and country to do it again.
Luis Diaz, Colombia
For Luis Diaz, a goal and an assist was a nice way to start his 2026 World Cup with Colombia, and also an indication that if this team has a singular talismanic player, that’s now shifted from James Rodríguez — who has been sometimes transcendental but also inconsistent of late — to the Bayern Munich man.
DR Congo was able to hold Portugal to a draw, but Colombia may turn out to be more dynamic than Portugal. Though Colombia has multiple players capable of scoring, Diaz seems most likely based on his most recent performance. Look for him to get at least one goal, and if you have an option for him to get either a goal or an assist, that seems even more likely, given the involvement he’ll look at have.
Photo Credit: AP/Ashtin Barker
