That figure currently sits seventh on the all-time list, behind only five tournaments from football’s earliest era and the 1958 edition in Sweden.
The 1954 World Cup in Switzerland remains the outright record holder, with an extraordinary 5.4 goals per game across 26 matches, driven by remarkable scorelines including Austria’s 7-5 win over Switzerland and Hungary’s 9-0 demolition of South Korea.
There have been 75 goals in the first 24 games of the 2026 World Cup, an average of 3.1 per game.
That’s higher than any World Cup since 1958, though there is of course still a long way to go. pic.twitter.com/S5qxR6fr6e
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 18, 2026
Every tournament since 1962 has produced fewer than three goals per game, making this year’s numbers a striking departure from the modern norm. The 1970 World Cup in Mexico, the closest comparison from the post-1960s era, managed 3.0 per game. Qatar 2022, the most recent edition, finished at 2.69.
There remains a long way to go before the tournament concludes, and scoring has historically slowed as the knockout stages bring tighter, more cautious football. But with 80 group stage matches still to be completed, the early signs suggest this could be the most attacking World Cup in well over half a century.
Photo: Reuters/Jay Biggerstaff
