What is First Goalscorer Bet? First Goalscorer Bet Explained in 2 minutes
Mike Goodpaster Last Verified
19/04/2026
A first goalscorer bet is most commonly associated in the sport of soccer and is a bet in which the bettor predicts which individual player will score the opening goal of a match. It is offered by every large legal online bookmaker on our site.
The first goalscorer can come from either competing team and if the bettor has made a winning bet, the sportsbook will pay out immediately, or at least once the league’s governing body has officially confirmed that player as the scorer.
For an added element of insurance, some bookmakers will also offer a first goalscorer each-way bet which means that even if the player you back to score first fails to do so but does score the second, third or fourth goal, then the bet will stand, but at quartered odds as in horse racing.
How is First goalscorer bet used in Sports Betting?
A first goalscorer bet is one of the most common and popular markets in sports in which a goal is required as a scoring method.
Football is the best example of a first goalscorer bet and would be when a punter backs Harry Kane to score the first goal of the game in a match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.
The scenario is simple - if Kane scores first, then the bet is deemed a winner. However, if Kane does not score first but scores at a later point in the game, then it is still a losing bet unless a first goalscorer each-way bet has been taken.
To find a match to bet on, head over to our soccer odds page. There you'll see every soccer match from every league across the world, and be able to compare odds from different sports books all in one place.
In the instance that the game ends 0-0 and no goals are scored, then any first goalscorer bet made becomes a losing bet.
Did you know…
Englishman Alan Shearer holds the record for the highest number of goals ever scored in the history of the Premier League with 260.
That is 52 more than the second highest of 208 achieved by Wayne Rooney.
