Most players spend their teenage years dreaming of a World Cup. Lamine Yamal arrives having already conquered Europe. After Spain’s disappointing start against Cape Verde, all the talk was surrounding Yamal’s return from injury and him kickstarting La Roja’s campaign.The Spanish star needed no time to ease himself back into action, scoring the opening goal for the European champions in a 4-0 rout of Saudi Arabia. Yamal already has a European Championship winner’s medal, and has won three La Liga titles and finished runner-up in the Ballon d’Or vote – a ridiculous list of achievements for someone still yet to celebrate his 19th birthday.Given his meteoric rise, bookmakers have wasted little time installing him among the favourites for several major player markets, most notably the Golden Ball and Golden Boot.We’ll break down the most popular Yamal betting markets, examine whether his World Cup odds represent value and assess whether his fitness concerns are worth the risk.Quick Lamine Yamal marketsYamal to take home the Golden Boot at 66/1 with Paddy PowerYamal to win the Golden Ball at 10/1 with BetVictorBest Lamine Yamal World Cup bet boostsI think it’s immediately apparent to anyone who has watched Lamine Yamal over the last few years that he’s a legitimate contender in almost every major player market at this World Cup. Ultimately, and unfortunately for him, missing most of the first game has already put him well behind in the frantic race for the Golden Boot.To score anytime: Yamal has so many strings to his bow, and goalscoring is definitely one of them. His record of 49 goals in 151 appearances for Barcelona is evidence enough that any boosts in this market are worth your attention.First goalscorer: Even though he was the first goalscorer against the Saudis, this will by and large be slightly less tempting than his anytime chances, and I say that because it’s often death by a thousand cuts with Spain. They can hurt opponents from anywhere and through almost anyone. Still, if bookmakers are dangling a generous price, there’s no reason to ignore it.Shots on target: I’d pay close attention to these. Yamal ranked second in La Liga for total shots and joint-fifth for shots on target last season. He loves to cut inside and test goalkeepers whenever the opportunity presents itself.Assists: Arguably the standout Yamal market. He provided four assists at Euro 2024, more than any other player at the tournament, and already has 12 assists in just 25 appearances for Spain.Player specials: Narrowing these down is the problem. Yamal has a legitimate chance of landing at least one, from the Golden Boot and Golden Ball to top assister and Young Player of the Tournament – an award he already claimed at Euro 2024.Matchday Bet Builders: Punters could create a Lamine Yamal-only Bet Builder and it would still have a decent chance of landing. The challenge is likely to be finding value, particularly in those opening matches against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.Lamine Yamal top goalscorer oddsAt 66/1, Lamine Yamal’s chances of winning the Golden Boot seem slim – what with the likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé already on five and four goals respectively. Yamal does, however, arrive off the back of a 24-goal campaign for Barcelona and plays for one of the tournament favourites.There’s also evidence that cup football suits him. Yamal has scored 20 goals in 44 appearances across the Champions League, Copa del Rey and Nations League Finals – a return of almost a goal every other game.He takes on a fractured Uruguay in his final group game, which should see Spain win their group and lock in a theoretically easier path through the knockouts.His lingering hamstring injury is a slight cause for concern. While he looked immediately sharp against Saudi Arabia, Yamal did miss the closing weeks of Barcelona’s title-winning season and – of all injuries – hamstrings are known to reoccur. The other slight concern is that he isn’t Spain’s penalty taker and this side tends to spread goals around. Bet on Yamal to take home the Golden Boot at 66/1 with Paddy Power Lamine Yamal Golden Ball oddsThere’s a reason bookmakers have installed Yamal as one of the favourites for the Golden Ball.Unlike the Golden Boot, this award isn’t simply handed to the tournament’s leading scorer. Instead, it goes to the player judged to have had the biggest overall impact on the World Cup.That’s good news for the teenager, whose influence extends far beyond goals. Yamal can score, assist and create match-winning moments from nothing.In many ways, these are exactly the qualities that tend to be rewarded in this market. The Golden Ball isn’t simply a goalscoring award and Lionel Messi’s two victories are proof of that. He won the accolade in both 2014 and 2022 despite not winning the Golden Boot at either tournament. The Argentine forward, however, is also leading the pricing in this category too at time of writing.The other factor working in Yamal’s favour is Spain. Golden Ball winners almost always come from teams that reach the final and few nations look better equipped to do that than the European champions.Yamal already gave us a glimpse of what that might look like at Euro 2024. If Spain make the final, I’d be very surprised if he wasn’t right in the mix. Lamine Yamal to win the Golden Ball at 10/1 with Sky Bet Spain to win the World Cup oddsIf you’ve drawn Spain in the office sweepstake, you should consider yourself very fortunate indeed.Luis de la Fuente arguably has the deepest squad at these finals, with the dynamic midfield pairing of Rodri and Pedri pulling the strings behind a loaded attack featuring Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal and, of course, Yamal.Spain – the 9/2 favourites for World Cup glory – also arrive as the reigning European champions and it’s easy to forget just how impressive that triumph was.On their way to lifting the trophy, they dispatched Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and England, winning all seven matches they played.That’s important when assessing Yamal’s individual markets. Golden Boots and Golden Balls are far easier to win when your team is still playing in the latter stages.Best ways to back Lamine Yamal during the World CupBelow are the markets that make the most appeal to me heading into the tournament.One quick caveat. All of these selections are based on Yamal not being hampered – or having his tournament ended – by his hamstring.Top assister: This is my top pick. Yamal provided more assists than any other player at Euro 2024 and already has 12 in just 25 appearances for Spain. At 12/1, that looks like a cracking price.Golden Ball: Another market that makes plenty of appeal. Yamal’s influence extends far beyond goals and that’s exactly the sort of profile that tends to be rewarded here.Golden Boot: At 66/1, Yamal has it all to do to catch the likes of Messi and Mbappé. Spain should create plenty of chances and Yamal’s record in cup competitions suggests he tends to thrive when the stakes are highest, so don’t totally count him out yet.Lamine Yamal previous World Cup recordThis will be Yamal’s first World Cup. Normally that would be a concern. In this case, I think he’ll be just fine.At Euro 2024, the Barcelona winger won the Young Player of the Tournament, provided more assists than anyone else and helped Spain lift the trophy. The only question mark heading into this tournament is fitness.Final verdictIt would be quicker to go through the awards he’s not likely to challenge for if fit – maybe the Golden Glove!There aren’t many players at this World Cup with as many routes to success as Lamine Yamal.If I had to pick one market, it would be top assister – although his price in that market has also drifted to 40/1. His creativity is every bit as dangerous as his goalscoring and that price looks too big for a player expected to be at the heart of one of the tournament favourites.The Golden Ball also makes plenty of appeal, while 66/1 for the Golden Boot could still be tempting.Ultimately, it all comes back to fitness. If he gets through the tournament unscathed, I’d be surprised if he isn’t firmly in the thick of things when the individual awards are handed out.About the authorDean EtheridgeDean Etheridge is an experienced freelance sports betting writer who specialises in football, cricket, and darts, with a keen focus on the Premier League and Champions League, as well as in-depth coverage of Premier League Darts and major tournaments. He can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game and beyond, delivering expert analysis across a range of sports. He predominantly covers the Premier League and Champions League but can turn his hand to all aspects of the beautiful game. 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