Explore the numbers
The figures by tournament format and by edition. Each shows how many matches back it up (k of n); with fewer than 10 matches it is greyed out. Compare formats, not one World Cup against another: each older World Cup has only 15 knockout matches.
By tournament format
| Figure | 24 teams (1986-94) | 32 teams (1998-2022) | 48 teams (2026) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| groups | knockout | groups | knockout | groups | knockout | |
| Goals per match (90 minutes) | 2.40n=108 | 2.31n=45 | 2.54n=336 | 2.24n=105 | 2.99n=72 | 2.42n=31 |
| Decided matches won by one goal | 54%44/81 | 59%17/29 | 53%135/253 | 56%38/68 | 35%18/52 | 59%13/22 |
| Big wins (by 3 goals or more) | 16%17/108 | 11%5/45 | 15%49/336 | 14%15/105 | 25%18/72 | 13%4/31 |
| Level at 90 minutes | 25%27/108 | 36%16/45 | 25%83/336 | 35%37/105 | 28%20/72 | 29%9/31 |
| Decided in the last 15 minutes | 10%11/108 | 36%16/45 | 17%56/336 | 20%21/105 | 19%14/72 | 39%12/31 |
| Matches with a goal from the 80th minute | 31%34/108 | 51%23/45 | 42%142/336 | 31%33/105 | 50%36/72 | 52%16/31 |
| Matches with a comeback | 6%6/108 | 13%6/45 | 14%46/336 | 14%15/105 | 14%10/72 | 23%7/31 |
| Went to extra time | · | 36%16/45 | · | 35%37/105 | · | 29%9/31 |
| Decided on penalties | · | 22%10/45 | · | 23%24/105 | · | 13%4/31 |
By World Cup
| World Cup | Goals per match (90 minutes) (groups) | Decided matches won by one goal (groups) | Big wins (by 3 goals or more) (groups) | Decided in the last 15 minutes (knockout) | Went to extra time (knockout) | Second-half stoppage-time goals per match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 2.33n=36 | 52%13/25 | 17%6/36 | 27%4/15 | 27%4/15 | 0.000/52 |
| 1990 | 2.28n=36 | 57%16/28 | 14%5/36 | 40%6/15 | 53%8/15 | 0.084/52 |
| 1994 | 2.58n=36 | 54%15/28 | 17%6/36 | 40%6/15 | 27%4/15 | 0.042/52 |
| 1998 | 2.63n=48 | 53%17/32 | 17%8/48 | 27%4/15 | 27%4/15 | 0.149/64 |
| 2002 | 2.71n=48 | 50%17/34 | 13%6/48 | 20%3/15 | 33%5/15 | 0.064/64 |
| 2006 | 2.44n=48 | 41%15/37 | 15%7/48 | 20%3/15 | 40%6/15 | 0.138/64 |
| 2010 | 2.10n=48 | 62%21/34 | 10%5/48 | 20%3/15 | 27%4/15 | 0.096/64 |
| 2014 | 2.83n=48 | 54%21/39 | 21%10/48 | 20%3/15 | 53%8/15 | 0.1912/64 |
| 2018 | 2.54n=48 | 62%24/39 | 17%8/48 | 13%2/15 | 33%5/15 | 0.3019/64 |
| 2022 | 2.50n=48 | 53%20/38 | 10%5/48 | 20%3/15 | 33%5/15 | 0.2315/64 |
| 2026 | 2.99n=72 | 35%18/52 | 25%18/72 | 39%12/31 | 29%9/31 | 0.3334/104 |