When are goals scored? The 2026 World Cup minute by minute: goals come late
The 308 goals of the 2026 World Cup were not spread evenly across the 90 minutes. The most prolific stretch was from the 76th to the 90th minute, with 59 goals, and the second half (152 goals) clearly outscored the first (126). The quietest spell was between the 16th and 30th minutes. We analyse when the tournament was decided.
The 2026 World Cup produced 308 goals in 104 matches, an average of 2.96 per game. But when did they come? Broken down into fifteen-minute intervals, the data paint a tournament that caught fire as the clock ticked on.
The most prolific stretch was, by some way, from the 76th to the 90th minute: 59 goals at the end of regulation time, when legs tire, spaces open up and the rush to score punishes defences. Just before, the 31st-to-45th interval —the end of the first half— was the second most productive, with 55.
The split by halves is clear: 152 goals were scored in the second half (46th to 90th), well above the 126 of the first. Add to those 28 goals in stoppage time and extra time, a reminder that this World Cup was often decided at the death —think of Merino's goals for Spain or Argentina's comeback against England. The quietest spell, by contrast, was the opening: only 33 goals came between the 16th and 30th minutes.
In short, it was a tournament of tight finishes and late goals rather than early bursts. You can see the full goals-by-minute chart and all the championship's figures on our data pages.