Where World Cup Golden Ball Odds Stand Ahead Of Quarterfinals
France's Kylian Mbappe is the favorite
France superstar Kylian Mbappe could walk away from the World Cup in Qatar needing to fit multiple trophies into his luggage.
Of course, the biggest one would be leading France to a second straight World Cup title, but the immensely talented forward leads the Golden Boot competition — awarded to the player who scores the most goals during the tournament — with five tallies, and oddsmakers also peg him as the favorite to be the Golden Ball winner.
The Golden Ball is handed out to the MVP of the World Cup and Mbappe has certainly staked his claim for the award with France getting set for a massive quarterfinal matchup against England on Saturday (2 p.m. ET).
But Mbappe has plenty of competition for the coveted label, and if France falters in its next match, it could open the door for a slew of viable candidates.
Here are the top eight players with the best odds to win the Golden Ball on the DraftKings Sportsbook betting sheet:
Kylian Mbappe, France +125
Lionel Messi, Argentina +300
Neymar, Brazil +1400
Richarlison, Brazil +1600
Bruno Fernandes, Portugal +1600
Jude Bellingham, England +1600
Vinicius Junior, Brazil +1600
Bukayo Saka, England +2000
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If bettors are looking for greater value outside of Mbappe, placing a wager on one of the trio of Brazilians wouldn’t be a bad idea. While Neymar is integral to Brazil’s success, he has played in only two games so far in this World Cup after getting injured in the tournament opener and scored only one goal, which came off a penalty kick in Monday’s 4-1 win over South Korea.
Richarlison might be a better play and with juicier odds. The brilliant striker has scored three goals already, including one on a world class effort in the aforementioned win over South Korea. A $100 bet on Richarlison would net a return of $1,700.
There could be significant change to these odds given what happens in the quarterfinal round, so locking in a pick before those games kickoff could be a wise move.
