The 2026 World Cup by numbers: 308 goals, the biggest win and the four shootouts
The first 48-team World Cup produced 308 goals in 104 matches —an average of 2.96 per game—, 55 clean sheets, 15 penalties converted in open play and just 14 sendings-off. The wildest game was the 4-6 between France and England in the third-place play-off (ten goals), and the most emphatic wins were Germany's 7-1 over Curaçao and Canada's 6-0 against Qatar. Four ties were decided on penalties. We review the tournament in figures.
The 2026 World Cup, the first contested by 48 nations and spread across the United States, Mexico and Canada, bows out with a set of neat figures. A total of 104 matches were played, producing 308 goals, an average of 2.96 per game that confirms it was a tournament lively in attack without tipping into chaos.
Defensive solidity had its place too: there were 55 clean sheets, a reflection of the good work at the back by the sides that went far, with Spain out in front (seven shut-outs). From the spot, 15 penalties were scored in open play, and the tournament was notably clean: only 14 red cards were shown across the whole championship.
The most spectacular match was, without question, the third-place play-off: France and England served up a breathless 4-6 with ten goals, the highest-scoring game of the whole World Cup. As for thrashings, nobody topped Germany's 7-1 over Curaçao or Canada's 6-0 against Qatar, the two most severe beatings of the tournament.
And where goals were scarce, penalty-shootout nerves took over: four ties were settled on spot-kicks, with major surprises such as Germany's exit against Paraguay and the Netherlands' against Morocco, both in the round of 32.
When were the most goals scored? Which nation had the most shots? You can explore all of this data —the distribution of goals by minute, the biggest wins and the penalty shootouts— on our stats pages.