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First and Anytime Goalscorer Bets Explained
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- C Sports Betting
Some fans watch a match for the team; others watch for one player. Goalscorer bets are built for the second group. Instead of predicting the result, you back a named player to score, either at a specific moment in the match or at any point during it. They are among the most popular football markets in the world, and among the most misunderstood when it comes to settlement.
The main goalscorer markets
| Market | What you need | How hard it is |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime goalscorer | Your player scores at least once | The broadest target |
| First goalscorer | Your player scores the opening goal of the match | Much narrower |
| Last goalscorer | Your player scores the final goal of the match | Also narrow |
| To score two or more | Your player scores at least twice | Narrower still |
Many bookmakers also list a "no goalscorer" option, which wins only if the match ends goalless.
Each market answers a different question about the same player. Anytime asks whether they will score at all; first and last scorer ask whether they will score at one exact moment in the story of the match. Knowing which question you are answering makes the prices far easier to read.
Anytime goalscorer
The anytime market is the simplest. If your player scores once, twice or three times, the bet wins at the same price. Timing does not matter, and neither does the result of the match. That breadth is why anytime prices are shorter than first scorer prices for the same player.
First goalscorer
The first goalscorer market needs your player to open the scoring. Everyone else on the pitch is effectively competing with them, including team-mates and opponents. A striker who scores twice in the second half still loses this bet if a defender headed in a corner after ten minutes.
Settlement rules that trip people up
Rules differ between bookmakers, so treat the points below as common practice rather than universal law:
- Own goals usually do not count for any player in goalscorer markets. If the opener is an own goal, many books settle first scorer on the next legitimate goal.
- Players who do not take part are normally void, with the stake returned.
- Substitutes who come on after the first goal has already been scored often lose first scorer bets but can still win anytime bets.
- Extra time usually does not count. Most goalscorer markets settle on regular time plus stoppage time.
- Penalty shoot-outs never count as goals for these markets.
Reading these terms before you bet saves a lot of frustration afterwards, especially in cup matches.
Thinking about prices sensibly
Goalscorer prices reflect a player's role, the opponent and the expected flow of the game. A central striker who takes penalties will usually be priced shorter than a full-back. Those prices also include the bookmaker's margin, and because there are so many possible scorers, that margin can be generous to the house.
Some bettors follow live data during a match before deciding whether to bet in-play. If that interests you, our piece on live scores and value betting covers how real-time information is used and where its limits lie. Remember that the market sees the same information, often faster than you do.
Combination bets
Goalscorer picks are often paired with a correct result or a half-time/full-time call in a single ticket. Every extra condition makes the price bigger and the chance of winning smaller. Our explainer on half-time/full-time bets shows how quickly a second prediction narrows the target.
Keeping it light
- Back players you actually enjoy watching. It keeps the bet about the match rather than the money.
- Use small, fixed stakes. Goalscorer bets lose far more often than they win, even for the best forwards.
- Do not double up after a miss. A player who failed to score last week is not due a goal this week.
- Check the team sheet before kick-off, so a late change does not leave you confused about settlement.
Sports betting is for adults aged 18 and over and is not legal everywhere. Check what is allowed where you live, decide your limit before the match and treat any winnings as a bonus, not a plan.