Total Goals for each World Cup Tournament
The FIFA World Cup has produced thousands of goals since the first tournament in 1930, with scoring rates and tournament formats changing significantly over the decades. Of all the World Cup tournaments so far, the 1954 World Cup remains the highest-scoring tournament by average goals per game, while modern expanded tournaments with many more matches being played have produced the highest overall goal totals.
Abu Dhabi stadium
Total Goals for Each Tournament
The table below lists every men’s FIFA World Cup tournament, showing the total number of matches played, total goals scored, and the average goals per match. The record from 1998 and 2014 of 171 total goals scored overall in the tournament was surpassed in 2022 when 172 was scored, and not surprisingly topped in 2026 with 308 goals from many more matches.
| Year | Total Goals | Matches | Ave Goals/Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 308 | 104 | 2.96 |
| 2022 | 172 | 64 | 2.69 |
| 2018 | 169 | 64 | 2.64 |
| 2014 | 171 | 64 | 2.67 |
| 2010 | 145 | 64 | 2.27 |
| 2006 | 147 | 64 | 2.30 |
| 2002 | 161 | 64 | 2.52 |
| 1998 | 171 | 64 | 2.67 |
| 1994 | 141 | 52 | 2.71 |
| 1990 | 115 | 52 | 2.21 |
| 1986 | 132 | 52 | 2.54 |
| 1982 | 146 | 52 | 2.81 |
| 1978 | 102 | 38 | 2.68 |
| 1974 | 97 | 38 | 2.55 |
| 1970 | 95 | 32 | 2.97 |
| 1966 | 89 | 32 | 2.78 |
| 1962 | 89 | 32 | 2.78 |
| 1958 | 126 | 35 | 3.60 |
| 1954 | 140 | 26 | 5.38 |
| 1950 | 88 | 22 | 4.00 |
| 1938 | 84 | 18 | 4.67 |
| 1934 | 70 | 17 | 4.12 |
| 1930 | 70 | 18 | 3.89 |
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