2026 World Cup Most Assists Betting Odds

There have been plenty of headlines written about Bruno Fernandes over the course of the season, with the 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder having led Man United to a Champions League finish, courtesy of 30 goal involvements. 21 of those were assists, a Premier League record, and he is now the favourite to register the most assists at the World Cup.

Despite his strong record, we’re dubious as to whether he will lead the charts in North America. That means we have question marks over the value on offer. Portugal, whilst they feature reasonably high up the outright winner odds, are not exactly an all-out-attacking nation.

If you look back to Euro 2024 as an example, they averaged one goal scored per game, with seven sides scoring more goals than them. Should the summer play out anything like that here, it is going to be hard for Fernandes to register more assists than some other players.

Fans who follow the Premier League will be familiar with Fernandes' contributions this past season. Michael Olise provided the same number of assists (21) in the Bundesliga, whilst playing three games fewer. He can throw a further 10 assists to that tally from other competitions as well.

With those numbers, and the fact he is playing for a nation that is one of the most fancied sides, he has to be considered a serious contender for topping the assists ranking. Olise has seemingly established himself as one of Didier Deschamps favourites in recent international breaks as well, which means he should get plenty of minutes.

He certainly has a goalscorer in the side alongside him, with Kylian Mbappe tipped to win the Golden Boot, and France did top score in Qatar four years ago.

Spain’s star boy, Lamine Yamal, is the next name to feature in the bookmakers' odds to provide the most assists at the World Cup. We are really unsure of this selection and feel like it could exploit punters who don’t do their due diligence.

That is a bold statement, which could leave us with egg on our face come the end of the tournament but let us explain. Yamal is a sensation. He put up big numbers during the season, weighing in with 18 assists across all competitions, and has delivered on the big stage already, registering more assists than anyone else at Euro 2024.

The question mark is one of fitness. Yamal hasn’t played since mid-April, following a hamstring injury. Clearly, Spain think he’ll play a big part in North America given he has been named in the squad but will he be ready to go from the opening game, against Cape Verde? Will he have rust to shake off? Those factors can make a difference where these betting markets are concerned.

When you are looking at a betting market that is about player stats, Lionel Messi is never going to be too far away from the conversation. For many people, Messi is the greatest player of all time and he cemented that status during the last World Cup.

Is even Messi magical enough to inspire to that level again? From a statistical standpoint, you can make that argument. He’s provided broadly an assist every other game since joining Inter Miami but, importantly, that is in the MLS.

Yes, that gives him an advantage in some ways, given where the World Cup is being hosted. The standard of the MLS isn’t anywhere close to what will await in the knockout stages of this tournament, though, and Messi is also 38, whilst he's quoted as having "muscle fatigue" too.

There might be a few people sleeping on Brazil heading into this summer's tournament, with the years of samba soccer long behind them now. Be careful dismissing them, though. They have some serious quality in their squad, with Vinicius Junior right up there with the best players on the planet.

He has perhaps struggled for the same affection from the "outside world" since Mbappe joined Real Madrid, but he still laid on 14 assists last season. It shouldn't be forgotten that Carlo Ancelotti is the man in charge of Brazil too; he knows how to get the best out of Vini.

If you are then looking for a further sweetener, Brazil have one of the kinder groups, with games against Haiti and, to a lesser extent, Scotland opportunities to chalk a couple of early assists up.