The 2022 FIFA World Cup holds the record for the most goals ever scored in a World Cup after Sunday’s six-goal thriller final at the Lusail Stadium.
The six goals scored by Argentina and France brought the total number of goals in the tournament to a staggering 172, surpassing the previous 171 goals established jointly in 1998 and 2014.
Games averaged 2.7 goals per game, with Spain’s 7-0 victory over Costa Rica and Portugal’s 6-1 victory over Switzerland being the highest-scoring games of the tournament. In the final, the ball hit the back of the goal 12 times, including the penalty shootout, in addition to Cameroon’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Serbia in Group G.
Kylian Mbappe’s eight goals were sufficient to beat Lionel Messi in the battle for the Golden Boot title at the 2018 World Cup. Messi scored seven goals, including two in the championship match.
While theoretically, the World Cup with the most goals ever scored, in terms of goals per game, the 2022 event pales in contrast to 1954.
In 1954, there were an astounding 5.4 goals per game, with Hungary, Austria, and West Germany all recording victories in which they scored multiple goals.
Austria defeated Switzerland 7-5 (yes, 7-5) in the quarterfinals of the 1954 World Cup to produce the highest-scoring match in World Cup history.
Most World Cup goals scored in 1930: 70; in 1934: 70
1938: 84
1950: 88
1954: 140
1958: 126
1962: 89
1966: 89
1970: 95
1978: 102
1982: 146
1986: 132
1990: 115
1998: 171
2002: 161
2006: 147
2010: 143
2014: 171
2018: 169
2022: 172
