With half of the eight spots in the quarterfinals determined, the Round of 16 continues this Monday with two more tickets available in a pair of marquee matchups. Spain faces off with Portugal at 3:00 p.m. ET in Arlington, Texas, before the United States takes on Belgium at 8:00 p.m. ET in primetime from Seattle. DraftKings has another huge round of contests for DFS fantasy soccer available. Let’s examine the four teams taking the pitch this Monday and highlight some strong World Cup DFS picks for your lineups.
Now that we’ve reached the knockout stage, 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. Spain (-210) is the heaviest favorite of the day in the early game against Portugal, while the USA (-125) is slightly favored to advance over Belgium, 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 Monday.
Make your DraftKings World Cup DFS picks here: WC $100K Chip Pass [$20K to 1st]
Forward
Stud
Folarin Balogun, United States, $7,300 — Balogun has been the strongest player in the United States’ offense this World Cup, and FIFA lifted his red card suspension, which will allow him to suit up for Monday’s game against Belgium. Balogun had two shots (one on goal) against Belgium when these two squads met in March of this year in an International Friendly. Belgium won that game, 5-2, but the U.S. has looked more in form than Belgium in their four games in this tournament.
Balogun scored two goals in the USA’s huge tournament-opening win over Paraguay, when he finished with 32.9 FPTS. He had his third goal of the event and 12.6 FPTS against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, but he was sent off after 64 minutes.
FIFA has opted to step in and suspend his red card, though, in a controversial move. Balogun’s availability will be critical to the U.S.’s offense since they rely heavily on the 25-year-old from Brooklyn as the cornerstone of their offense. He has 12 goals in his 30 international appearances for the U.S. and scored 19 goals in 43 appearances for Monaco in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League, earning the 2025–26 Monaco Player of the Season.
Balogun will be the focus of plenty of excitement and drama in this match, and he brings a high ceiling as his team’s primary scoring threat as it looks to advance to the quarterfinals.
Value
Rafael Leao, Portugal, $6,900 — Leao came off the bench for the first three games of the World Cup, but he moved into the starting XI in the knockout round against Croatia. He played all 90 minutes and posted a personal tournament-high 14.2 FPTS. He had two shots (none on target), two chances created, and hit four crosses, while picking up an assist by connecting with Gonalco Ramos ($5,900) on the game-winning goal in stoppage time.
Leao also got on the scoresheet with a goal of his own against Uzbekistan, finishing with 12.6 FPTS in that match. If he gets another start, he’s involved enough to produce critical contributions for Portugal’s offense, giving him a high ceiling and a high floor.
The big storyline in this match will be the potential final game of Cristiano Ronaldo ($7,700), but Leao and Ramos are the next men up who can help Portugal push forward even in this tough matchup against a very stout Spanish defense. Leao’s ability to create and to finish will both be on display enough to make him a solid value option at forward if he gets another start.
Midfielder
Stud
Leandro Trossard, Belgium, $7,600 — Trossard may not be quite as well-known as his midfield-mate Kevin De Bruyne ($8,200), but Trossard has had a better showing in this World Cup. The 31-year-old has played in the English Premier League for the last eight seasons, splitting them between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal. Last season, he had eight goals in 50 appearances for Arsenal, and he scored one of those goals in the critical win that secured Arsenal’s first EPL title in 22 years.
Trossard had two goals and 34.5 FPTS against New Zealand when Belgium’s offense finally got going after a slow start, and he had an assist to go with two shots (one on goal), one cross and three chances created in Belgium’s 3-2 win against Senegal in the Round of 32.
Belgium’s offense has several key producers but Trossard has been able to work with the primary starters and also mesh with the group coming off the bench, including Youri Tielemans ($6,300), who starred with two late goals in the last round.
Value
Dani Olmo, Spain, $5,400 — Olmo is another strong pivot option in the midfield since he is very involved in Spain’s attack. He plays in Barcelona with Lamine Yamal ($8,900) and Pedri ($5,500), and he seems to mesh very well with them for the national team as well. He has played in all four matches in the World Cup, two as a starter and two coming off the bench. He isn’t likely to play a full 90 minutes in either situation, but he has a higher ceiling if he’s in the lineup.
Olmo had 9.0 FPTS in his start against Austria and had 9.2 FPTS against Saudi Arabia in his other start. He had an assist in that game to go with a pair of shots (none on target) and one chance created. Against Austria, he had two more chances created and three more shots (none on target). He also won three tackles and fit well next to Yamal and Pedri.
He has solid potential at this price point and is in a favorable matchup as La Roja looks to take care of Portugal. If he isn’t in the starting lineup, Rodri ($4,200) is another cheap option from Spain, even though he typically serves as a holding midfielder rather than being involved in the attack. If the Belgians start Nicolas Raskin ($3,800), he’s another good value play, while Weston McKinnie ($4,800) makes sense in his role as a supporting midfielder for the USA.
Defender
Stud
Pedro Porro, Spain, $6,000 — Porro hasn’t started every game for Spain, but he made a convincing argument that he belongs in the starting XI with an incredible performance against Austria. Not only did the 26-year-old who plays for Tottenham Hotspur score his first international goal with a strong header, but he added five chances created and seven crosses for a resounding 28.9 FPTS.
He only started one of Spain’s three games in the Group Stage, but had a strong showing against Saudi Arabia with 17.9 FPTS with six crosses and three chances created. He works very well on the right wing with Yamal and brings a very high ceiling if he gets the start against Portugal.
If Porro doesn’t start, Marcos Llorente ($3,200) will likely move into his spot as he did against Cabo Verde and Uruguay. Llorente is a solid bargain play to consider, even though he doesn’t have quite as much offensive involvement as Porro has showcased out of the back.
Value
Alex Freeman, United States, $3,900 — Freeman has been one of the breakout stars for Team USA this World Cup, and he’s a great option out of the back if the Americans can keep the Belgians in check on Monday night. Freeman has started three of the four games, coming off the bench against Turkiye in the final game of the Group Stage.
He had a key goal against Australia and finished with 19.3 FPTS after assisting on one of the goals in the opening win over Paraguay. The 21-year-old right back is set to be a key contributor for a long time for the United States and he presses forward on the wing enough to be a top value play under $4,000 in the back line.
He has upside on set pieces as his six-foot-two-inch frame makes him a strong aerial contributor, and he also does a great job setting up his teammates when he presses forward in the attack. In his four matches, he has earned three chances created and three tackles won, which add to his upside.
Goalkeeper
Stud
Unai Simon, Spain, $5,300 — Simon hasn’t been very busy in this World Cup, but when he has been called on, he has stepped up. He has yet to allow a goal through four games, but he has only had to make a total of four saves. He has over 11 FPTS in each of his team’s three wins and had a personal tournament-high with 14.6 FPTS against Uruguay, when he made two saves.
Simon hasn’t been tested as much in this tournament, but the longtime Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper has a history of success for Spain, helping them win UEFA Euro 2024. He’s in his second World Cup, and he’ll look to get his team back to the quarter-final, where they lost four years ago in a penalty shootout to Morocco.
Portugal is no pushover, but Simon and Spain are such heavy favorites that he makes sense as a pay-up keeper to build around.
Value
Matt Freese, United States, $4,800 — Freese has stepped up for the Americans in his first World Cup, and the 27-year-old has posted two strong shutouts in his last two games. He had 15.2 FPTS against Australia before sitting out the Group Play finale against Turkiye, with his team’s spot secure in the knockout stage. He returned in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina and posted 17.1 FPTS with three saves and a foul drawn.
His two clean sheets in wins have helped him average 11.9 FPTS per game in the World Cup, and he’ll look to rise to the challenge against Belgium on Monday night. Belgium’s offense has lots of firepower, but they have not been at their best this World Cup. They didn’t score against Iran and were down 2-0 against Senegal until late in their last game. They did post a furious comeback, but have been far from unstoppable aside from that short burst that made all the difference and pushed them into this round.
