The world's biggest playmakers are set to shine at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Check out who is favored to notch the most assists. Passing the ball is just as important as scoring it.
World Cup Assists Record: Who Created the Most Chances?
In the 2022 World Cup, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann and Ivan Perišić were all tied for the tournament lead in assists. In the 2024 European Championship, 18-year-old phenom Lamine Yamal led the tournament with four assists. At the time, he was only 16.
Christian Pulisic enters the tournament with 19 career assists for the U.S. men's national team and is coming off a 2025-26 Serie A campaign in which he was one of just two players to post at least 10 goals and nine assists.
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Bruno Fernandes Tops 2026 Assists Market at +800
So who will emerge as the tournament's top playmaker this summer? Let's take a look at the latest odds for the 2026 World Cup "Player to Assist Most Goals" market as of June 2. Bruno Fernandes: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)Michael Olise: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Lionel Messi: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Lamine Yamal: +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)Viní Jr.: +1400 (bet $10 to win $150 total)Kylian Mbappé: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Kevin De Bruyne: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Jeremy Doku: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Florian Wirtz: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)Raphinha: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Ousmane Dembélé: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)Nico Williams: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Bruno Fernandes of Portugal was one of five players who led the 2022 World Cup in assists (Getty Images).
Portugal's Group K Fixtures Favour High-Assist Tallies
Talk About Bruno: Not only did Fernandes have the most assists in just four matches in 2022, he also just won Premier League Player of the Season with a record 21 assists for Manchester United. With Portugal expected to make a deep run, Fernandes is now the favorite at +900 to record the most assists this summer. Global superstars Messi and Yamal round out the top four on the assists oddsboard as both currently sit at +1200.
Messi has eight career assists in the FIFA World Cup, which is tied for the most in tournament history. Yamal will look to replicate his Euros' success in his World Cup debut.
The Contenders: Second on the oddsboard is Michael Olise, who is making his first career World Cup appearance. Olise recorded a staggering 29 assists in all competitions for Bayern Munich during the 2025-26 season and has 51 assists in 63 total matches with the club.
De Bruyne, Pedri, and Musiala: Best Value Assist Bets
Player markets are shaped by minutes, set-piece role, fixture strength, and how far the team can realistically go. A player with secure starts and favorable group fixtures can carry more value than a bigger name in a tougher path.
The strongest read is to pair recent form with lineup certainty. That keeps the analysis tied to the decisions that actually affect goals, assists, and tournament minutes.