Following our analysis of the best cheap forwards in the FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026 game, we now turn our attention to the forwards priced at $7.0m and above.
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HARRY KANE ($10.5m)
- Matchday 1: Croatia
- Matchday 2: Ghana
- Matchday 3: Panama
England won all eight of their qualifying matches for this summer’s tournament and Harry Kane ($10.5m) was by far his country’s primary goal threat.
The 32-year-old racked up eight goals in total, the joint second-most in European qualifying, and was top among his teammates for expected goals (xG, 5.55) and shots (33).
He also enters this World Cup off the back of another blisteringly prolific campaign for Bayern Munich, having notched 61 goals and seven assists in 51 games across all competitions.
Whether fans want to believe it or not, England’s talented squad means they should be among the favourites to finally end their wait for a major men’s international trophy.
Thomas Tuchel has brought some changes to this side from the Gareth Southgate era, but one constant is Kane’s importance. He will remain the focal point – and first-choice penalty taker, despite that costly 2022 miss – in Tuchel’s team, and his record 78 goals should be extended upon.
Group L does feature some potential banana skin matches for the ever-nervy English, with Croatia and Ghana bringing experience and flair, but it would be a real shock if the Three Lions don’t progress to the knockouts – indeed, they are favoured by the bookies to win their group.
Panama in Matchday 3 could be a rout in England’s favour, too.
KYLIAN MBAPPE ($10.5m)
- Matchday 1: Senegal
- Matchday 2: Iraq
- Matchday 3: Norway
France’s Kylian Mbappe ($10.5m) already has one World Cup win under his belt from his teenaged days, and – having scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final – came a penalty shoot-out away from another four years ago.
Five goals and three assists in four qualifying matches for this tournament is no mean feat, and a tally of 12 goals in 14 World Cup appearances is frankly ridiculous.
It would be no surprise if Mbappe becomes France’s all-time leading goal-scorer at this tournament; with 56 senior international goals already, he is currently one shy of Olivier Giroud’s record despite playing some 40 games fewer.
The most appealing Group I fixture for Mbappe is on Matchday 2, when France play Iraq, but Didier Deschamps’s crew are the favourites against Senegal and Norway too. Indeed, they are favoured by many to go all the way.
ERLING HAALAND ($10.5m)
- Matchday 1: Iraq
- Matchday 2: Senegal
- Matchday 3: France
Erling Haaland ($10.5m) will find himself in many a Fantasy team this summer – and it’s easy to see why.
The Manchester City man netted a staggering 16 goals as Norway charged through their qualification campaign, finishing with eight wins from eight matches.
On penalties and with clinical goal-scoring abilities from open play, too, a Matchday 1 meeting with Iraq has ‘Haaland haul’ written all over it.
The trouble is, Norway have been drawn in what is arguably this year’s ‘Group of Death’, with Senegal and France their remaining opponents in Group I.
Haalald could prove to be an excellent choice for the 12th man chip in Matchday 1, then.
However, it’s not like we haven’t seen Haaland score against tricky opponents at club level, and Stale Stolbakken’s side could well make it through to the knockout stages regardless of their difficult group.
LIONEL MESSI ($10.0m)
- Matchday 1: Algeria
- Matchday 2: Austria
- Matchday 3: Jordan
The star of the reigning champions’ 2022 campaign with seven goals, including a brace in the final, Lionel Messi ($10.0m) showed just how central he still is to Argentina’s attack during the protracted CONMEBOL qualifying period by scoring eight goals and assisting three more – both team-high marks – in 10 starts.
Messi led the way in CONMEBOL qualifying for shots per 90 minutes (4.29), with 45 in total, and shots on target per 90 minutes (1.91) as well, while his 21 key passes were among the most in the squad – and elicited the highest expected assists (xA) – despite him missing six of the 18 qualifying matches.
He turns 39 during the group stage and has been dealing with muscle fatigue recently due to his high usage rate with Inter Miami in the MLS – where he has provided 12 goals and seven assists in 14 games this season – but Messi should be fine to feature from Matchday 1 for the Argentineans.
Whenever he’s on the pitch, the skipper also has the added appeal of being his side’s first-choice taker of penalties and free-kicks, with goals scored from the latter worth an extra point in this Fantasy game.
CRISTIANO RONALDO ($10.0m)
- Matchday 1: DR Congo
- Matchday 2: Uzbekistan
- Matchday 3: Colombia
Messi’s long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo ($10.0m), is also likely competing at his final World Cup, given the Portuguese goal machine is now 41 years old.
He netted five times in as many appearances before missing Portugal’s qualification-clinching final match through suspension.
Euro 2024 was a low point in the striker’s international career, with zero goals from five starts, but since then, he has guided Portugal to Nations League glory with eight goals and an assist in nine matches.
Whether they can better their quarter-final finish at Qatar 2022 is another matter, but A Seleção are at least heavily favoured to progress from a Group K that features Colombia, DR Congo and Uzbekistan. They play the latter two nations first, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Ronaldo bang in a few – from open play or penalties.
JULIAN ALVAREZ ($8.6m)
- Matchday 1: Algeria
- Matchday 2: Austria
- Matchday 3: Jordan
Julian Alvarez ($8.6m) has become one of world football’s most sought-after forwards since swapping Manchester City for Atletico Madrid, and amid reports that he is now open to leaving Atleti this summer, this World Cup comes at a perfect time to act as a ‘shop window’ opportunity to further drive up Atleti’s asking price to the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona.
Alvarez served up four goals and two assists in CONMEBOL qualifying, having scored four goals en route to La Albiceleste’s 2022 World Cup victory as well, and he has established himself as a first-choice line-leader under Lionel Scaloni.
There may not be too many people outside – or perhaps even inside – Argentina itself that expect Scaloni’s (overall) ageing crew to repeat as champions, but that doesn’t mean the goals won’t flow, particularly against the likes of Algeria, Austria and Jordan in Group J.
MIKEL OYARZABAL ($8.1m)
- Matchday 1: Cape Verde
- Matchday 2: Saudi Arabia
- Matchday 3: Uruguay
Spain, the reigning European champions, have struggled for a natural, reliable, top-class, goal-scoring centre-forward since the days of David Villa (sorry, Alvaro Morata). They arguably still don’t have a natural centre-forward that fits that bill – but they do have Mikel Oyarzabal ($8.1m).
A converted winger, Oyarzabal admittedly does play pretty much solely as a line-leader for Real Sociedad these days – he finished the 2025/26 La Liga season with a career-best 15 goals from up front – and that’s the role he occupies for his country, too.
The central figure in Spain’s fluid attacking unit, he netted six goals in qualifying, scoring in all but one game, and in the one match where he failed to score, the 29-year-old chipped in with a pair of assists.
Two of Oyarzabal’s goals were penalties, highlighting his apparent position at the head of the pecking order for those. The fact that Spain don’t face their toughest Group H opponent Uruguay until Matchday 3 – it’s Cape Verde first, then Saudi Arabia – further adds to his appeal.
Tipped among the favourites to win it all by many bookmakers, could this be the year that La Roja finally make it past the round of 16 on this stage for the first time since they hoisted the World Cup trophy back in 2010? If they are to do so, Oyarzabal stands a good chance of adding to his 24 goals in 52 caps.
ROMELU LUKAKU ($7.4m)
- Matchday 1: Egypt
- Matchday 2: Iran
- Matchday 3: New Zealand
All-time leading goal-scorer – and a definite first-choice penalty taker – for his country is Romelu Lukaku ($7.4m).
The Belgian frontman boasts 89 senior international goals from 124 caps and has been Belgium’s best centre forward for many a year.
However, his fitness is a concern.
Lukaku made just five Serie A appearances for Napoli this term, scoring a single goal amid an injury-hit campaign just a year on from winning the Scudetto. Is there a chance that manager Rudi Garcia goes in a different direction, given the 33-year-old’s lack of match fitness?
Garcia suggested so when announcing his 26-man squad in mid-May, despite calling Lukaku “our best striker”.
“Romelu has recovered but he’s out of shape, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to start the matches. But he’s our best striker, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer.
“We have five weeks to get him back to full fitness so that little by little he can help the team.” – Belgium manager Rudi Garcia on Romelu Lukaku in mid-May
Lille’s Matias Fernandez-Pardo ($5.6m) is one alternative, as are the versatile duo of Leandro Trossard ($6.6m) and Charles De Ketelaere ($5.6m), but Garcia is evidently keen to utilise Lukaku as much as he can.
Luckily for the Belgians, who were grouped at Qatar 2022 but finished third in Russia four years prior, they have among the easiest groups on paper; they face main Group G rivals Egypt first, then Iran and New Zealand after that.
MEMPHIS DEPAY
- Matchday 1: Japan
- Matchday 2: Sweden
- Matchday 3: Tunisia
The Netherlands’ leading goal-scorer and assist maker, Memphis Depay is currently unpriced in-game, having been a potential doubt to make Ronald Koeman’s final squad amid struggles with thigh and calf injuries that have seen him restricted to just two substitute appearances for Brazilian side Corinthians in the past two months.
However, Memphis’s inclusion suggests he could be ready to feature, and he presents an appealing Fantasy option if he does so.
The 32-year-old, who has 55 international goals to his name, is the first-choice set-piece taker for the Dutch and is believed to be high, if not top of, the pecking order for penalty-taking duties, too.
A team-leading eight of his goals came in the Netherlands’ unbeaten qualifying campaign, too, highlighting his importance as the side’s main focal point up front, provided he can remain fit.
Koeman’s men are heavily favoured to top Group F – in which they play Japan, Sweden and then Tunisia – and Oranje have reached at least the quarter-finals in each of their last three World Cup appearances.
OTHERS
Among the other in-game forwards to consider in this price bracket, Raul Jimenez ($7.0m) presents an enticing option for hosts Mexico’s tournament opener against South Africa. El Tricolor should progress from Group A, which also features Korea Republic and the Czech Republic, and Jimenez is one of the country’s most experienced leaders and reliable goal-scorers.
South Korea star Son Heung-min ($7.4m), who bagged 10 goals and four assists in 12 qualifying matches and has 16 assists for Los Angeles FC this term, is another option in Group A.
Darwin Nunez ($7.5m) is expected to be Marcelo Bielsa’s chosen line-leader for Uruguay, and opening matches against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde should present the 26-year-old – who scored five times in CONMEBOL qualifying – with a chance to get up and running again after a difficult club season with Al-Hilal.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are favoured to finish top of Group B, and their top scorer in qualifying Breel Embolo ($7.5m) could chip in against Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada. He managed eight goals and three assists as Stade Rennais finished sixth in Ligue 1 this season.
In Group F, meanwhile, the bookies have Japan leading Sweden in a close-fought battle to finish as runners-up behind the Netherlands. From the Dutch ranks, Cody Gakpo ($7.7m) – four goals and four assists in qualifying – could be a viable alternative if we hear a negative update regarding Memphis’s fitness ahead of Matchday 1’s meeting with the Japanese, whose first-choice centre-forward Ayase Ueda ($7.0m) finished World Cup qualifying with eight goals and this Eredivisie season with a league-high 25 goals in 31 matches.
