The 2026 World Cup has been one of the biggest in history, and it’s quickly building towards its conclusion with just five games remaining. Saturday is the final day with multiple games on the slate, and DraftKings has another huge round of contests for DFS fantasy soccer available. Let’s examine the four teams taking the pitch this Saturday and highlight some strong World Cup DFS picks for your lineups.
For today’s two Quarterfinals, 30 minutes of extra time (plus stoppage) will follow regulation if the match is tied. There is no “Golden Goal” format, with the full 30 minutes played even if a team scores. A penalty kick shootout will follow if the match is still tied at the end of extra time. Argentina (-320) to advance is the heaviest favorite of the day in the second matchup against Switzerland, while England (-195) is favored over Norway in the early game based on the current odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
This article was written before starting lineups were announced, so be sure to check back as lineups are announced and adjust your squad if necessary. With plenty of high-priced superstar options and some great value plays, it should be another great day of fantasy action at the World Cup, so let’s dive in and pick out my top World Cup DFS picks this Saturday.
Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $100K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]
Forward
Stud
Erling Haaland, Norway, $9,500 — The three megastars on the slate are all available at forward, with Harry Kane ($10,000) and Lionel Messi ($12,000) much more expensive than Haaland. Haaland has been nothing short of magnificent in his World Cup debut for Norway as the 25-year-old has lit up the scoreboard with seven goals in his four games. He’s already his nation’s top goalscorer in history and has racked up 62 goals in 54 international matches.
In his last four seasons with Manchester City, Haaland has racked up 162 goals in 198 appearances across all competitions. He is the epitome of a striker with excellent finishing ability in the air and on the ground in any kind of space he can find.
He found space for two goals against Brazil in the last round, adding four shots (three on goal) and two chances created for 29.2 FPTS. His ability as an elite finisher can overshadow his creativity, but he has six chances created to go with his seven goals this World Cup. He has posted 29+ FPTS in three of his four games in the World Cup and is an elite pay-up play to build your roster around.
Haaland will have a tough matchup against England’s defense, but they haven’t been unbeatable. Congo DR scored a goal against England in the first round of the Knockout Stage, and Mexico had a pair of goals while managing five shots on goal without a striker of Haaland’s caliber available. England’s defense could also be fatigued after playing at altitude and defending with only 10 for much of the match. Defender Jarell Quansah received the red card and suspension, but he was only playing due to injuries to Reece James ($4,800; hamstring) and Djed Spence ($4,100; undisclosed). Both of those options are expected to be available but could be at less than 100%, creating more opportunities for Haaland and Norway to row their way into the Semifinal.
Value
Breel Embolo, Switzerland, $6,500 — Embolo had 12+ FPTS in each of his first four games of the World Cup and is the point man up top for the Swiss offense. Embolo had either a goal or an assist in every match until the last round against Colombia, when he was stifled with just -0.3 FPTS.
He’ll look to bounce back in this matchup against Argentina. As good as Messi and the defending champs have been to get back to this point, the defense has been shaky at times. They have allowed two goals in each of their last two games to Cape Verde and Egypt. The brilliance of the offense has been enough to overcome Argentina’s defensive issues so far, but Embolo will look to capitalize on those chances.
The 29-year-old from Rennes in Ligue 1 flashed his upside with 19.1 FPTS against Qatar and posted 14.3 FPTS in the Knockout Stage against Algeria. This will be a tougher test for sure, but he has enough upside to be a value option at forward.
Midfielder
Stud
Lionel Messi, Argentina, $12,000 — Even though he’s extremely expensive, Messi is too good to pass up since he has such a high ceiling. It’s taken some signature Messi magic to get Argentina back to this point, and he has posted 40+ FPTS in each of the four games he has started in the World Cup.
He finished his team’s incredible comeback in the last round with 12 crosses and six chances created while adding one goal to his one assist for 41.2 FPTS.
Messi has scored eight goals in his five games, the most of any player in the tournament. He now holds the all-time World Cup scoring record with 21 career goals and became the first player in history to score in six straight knockout matches.
He has already established himself as the greatest player of all time, but he can add to his legacy in this match as he tries to carry his squad to a second straight World Cup. Any game at this point could be his last one, but even if his team’s defense digs a hole he can’t climb out of, he will likely have plenty of fantasy points to make him worth building around.
Value
Andreas Schjelderup, Norway, $5,000 — Schjelderup came on as a sub at halftime against Brazil and assisted on both of Haaland’s two goals. He also got a shot on goal of his own and finished with 19.4 FPTS. He hit two crosses and had one tackle won and one interception in his best game of the World Cup.
Schjelderup had an assist against France as well in the Group Stage and had made a big impact in his limited playing time. The 22-year-old is establishing himself as a big part of Norway’s rising core and can be a solid way to save salary and still get upside, especially if he moves into the starting lineup.
Defender
Stud
Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland, $4,000 — Defender is a good place to save salary if you’re paying up for stars up front. These teams don’t have any defenders who are intrinsically involved in the offense on a regular basis, so there aren’t any super-pricey options in the back. Rodriguez is one of the closest things on the slate, and he typically presses forward from his spot at left back.
The 33-year-old has recorded multiple crosses in four of his five World Cup matches, and he finished with 7.8 and 6.4 FPTS in his two games in the Knockout Stage. He had eight crosses in his team’s draw with Qatar in the Group Stage, showing his upside, but he probably won’t press forward quite that much against Argentina. He did get a shot of his own against Algeria, so he brings a little goal-scoring potential but is more valuable as a creator and crosser when he presses forward.
Value
Lisandro Martinez, Argentina, $3,500 — Martinez is similarly involved out of the back for Messi’s squad and went off for 21.8 FPTS with a goal and an assist against Cape Verde. He showed that wasn’t just a fluke, though, by posting 9.4 FPTS against Egypt on two crosses and a shot as the team pressed forward aggressively to try and come back against Egypt.
Normally, Martinez isn’t quite that involved offensively, but the Manchester United defender has proven he can produce when called upon. Depending on the gameflow, Martinez’s level of aggression could limit or boost his impact. Either way, he’s worth a look at this bargain salary based on his potential upside.
Goalkeeper
Stud
Emiliano Martinez, Argentina, $5,500 — Martinez started the World Cup with a pair of clean sheets and 10+ FPTS, but he has struggled a little bit with five goals against him in his last three games. In his last game against Egypt, Martinez didn’t even have a save, but he did still manage to get the win thanks to his team’s rally. He finished with 1.3 FPTS with the win bonus.
He’ll look to get back on track against Switzerland, who didn’t score against Colombia until the penalty shootout. His team is such a heavy favorite that he has a good chance to keep a clean sheet, and if he does, he’ll be worth a look at this salary.
Value
Gregor Kobel, Switzerland, $4,000 — If you want a higher risk option that comes with a very high ceiling as well, Kobel has been turned into the “hot keeper” who is carrying his team deep into the tournament. He will have to slow down Messi and Co. to get to the semifinals, but he has been so good that he could still end up a good play even if his team doesn’t win.
The 28-year-old keeper has played the last five seasons for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and he has had a breakout World Cup, averaging more FPTS than any other keeper on this slate. He went off for 15.3 FPTS in the last round against Colombia and was named Man of the Match with three saves and the decisive save in the penalty shootout.
He has 14+ FPTS in three straight games and seems to be getting stronger as the tournament continues. He has 11 saves in the last three games and continues to make all the stops. If he keeps it going against Argentina, he could help Switzerland pull off a huge upset Saturday night.
