World Cup Goal Scoring Picks, Odds, Predictions for Wednesday, July 1, 2026
Wednesday’s World Cup action includes what’s been an inflection point for the United States in recent years — the first match of the knockout tournament. It’s a little bit different this time around, as the Round of 32 is a new wrinkle in the elimination equation, but the last three World Cup appearances that the U.S. has made have all ended exactly one match past the group stages.
That’s not quite likely to happen to this version of the U.S. team, as it’s looked one of the better teams in the tournament through three games — even in losing with a heavily-rotated side to Türkiye in a match the U.S. didn’t even need to draw let alone win. Against Bosnia and Herzegovina, look for the Yanks to resume their very forward-looking attack, with several different attackers to choose from.
England also takes to the field on Wednesday, playing a DR Congo team that surprised some onlookers but not the pundits who saw potential in them. Les Léopards last qualified for the World Cup (before this one, of course) in 1974, when the country was still known as Zaïre, and this could be the end of the road for them. But they did draw Portugal 1-1 and lost to Colombia 1-0 in their journey to the knockout round, as well as beating Uzbekistan 3-1, so they could give the Three Lions trouble.
Belgium also faces an African team — with nine of the 10 entrants from that federation moving through to the Round of 32 — and not just any African team. Senegal has now qualified for its third World Cup in a row and looks like they’ll be a presence at future tournaments. Belgium has looked somewhat shaky in the first two matches, getting draws against both Egypt and Iran, before finding their footing against New Zealand and winning handily. Belgium-Senegal is a match that truly could go either way.
Look for these three players to get in front of goal and score as the Round of 16 continues to take shape. Make sure to check out our World Cup match trends page for daily odds, insights, and betting data for each game.
Wednesday’s Best 2026 World Cup Goal Scoring Picks
- Jude Bellingham, England
- Christian Pulisic, USA
- Romelu Lukaku, Belgium
Jude Bellingham, England
Against Panamá, which stood tough against England and didn’t allow a goal for the first hour-plus, it was Jude Bellingham and not Harry Kane who finally broke through with a goal — though Kane did score five minutes after Bellingham to lock in the win and send them through to the Round of 32 as group winners.
DR Congo only let in one goal to each of its three opponents in the World Cup thus far, and though England has the personnel to put up multiple goals, a cagey 1-0 win wouldn’t be a surprising Three Lions outcome. Look for Bellingham to be the one to break through Les Léopards’ defense and set up what could be an epic Round of 16 matchup against Mexico.
Christian Pulisic, USA
It’s been a strange tournament for Captain America. Christian Pulisic has been battling a calf injury for the entire group stage sequence and has only seen limited minutes, but he got a good half hour in during the most recent match against Türkiye, and if he doesn’t start, he’s a strong candidate to come on at halftime or shortly after — especially with the prospects of extra time looming.
While other players on this team have scored more, like Folarin Balogun, and have played more minutes, including Weston McKennie — the lone outfield player to start all three matches for the U.S. — Pulisic usually comes up big for his country in big tournaments. Look for him to get his first goal of the tournament … perhaps the final and deciding one.
Romelu Lukaku, Belgium
One thing is for certain in this World Cup for Belgium: Romelu Lukaku is still an absolute unit in front of goal. His movement and presence in a supersub appearance in the opener led to an own goal, and from there, he found a goal late in the rout of New Zealand during Belgium’s last time out.
Against Senegal, even with weapons like Leandro Trossard and Jérémy Doku in the lineup, expect the Red Devils’ playmakers — including Kevin De Bruyne — to funnel the ball to Lukaku, and expect the striker to come up with a goal in what could be a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair. Belgium could go out in similar fashion to Germany’s Round of 32 shocker against Paraguay, or they could extend their World Cup run. Should the U.S. advance, the winner of this match will play the co-hosts in Seattle on Monday afternoon.
Photo Credit: AP/Andre Penner
