Late goals, comebacks and upsets: Is this the best World Cup ever?

The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, has been a tournament of late goals, dramatic comebacks, and shock results. As the quarter-finals begin on Thursday with eight matches remaining, the question arises: has this been the best World Cup ever?

While subjective, the statistics suggest this edition compares favorably. For the first time featuring 48 nations and spread across three countries, it is undoubtedly the largest of the 23 tournaments. On the pitch, the numbers are striking.

Record-breaking goal tally

From 96 of 104 matches, 280 goals have been scored, averaging 2.92 per game—the highest since the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, which averaged 2.97 goals per match over 32 games. By comparison, Qatar 2022 averaged 2.69, Russia 2018 2.64, Brazil 2014 2.67, and South Africa 2010 2.27. The highest-scoring match was Germany's 7-1 win over Curacao, but seven other matches have seen six goals, and 13 more have produced five.

Attacking football is evident: 74.6% of goals have come from open play, among the highest proportions in World Cup history, while only 5% have been penalties—the lowest percentage on record.

Late drama and competitive balance

The tournament has been thrilling due to late goals. Of 24 knockout ties, eight have featured a winning goal after the 85th minute. Argentina needed extra time to eliminate underdogs Cape Verde, and four matches have gone to penalty shootouts. Enzo Fernandez's winner against Egypt was the 10th 90th-minute winning goal of the tournament, already a World Cup record.

In July alone, at least three classic matches occurred: Belgium, Argentina, and England each secured 3-2 victories over Senegal, Egypt, and Mexico, respectively. Belgium and Argentina both came back from two goals down late in their matches—the first time since 1970 that such deficits have been overturned more than once in a single tournament. England's win came despite playing 40 minutes with 10 men after Jarell Quansah's red card, holding on in an intense atmosphere at Mexico's Azteca Stadium.

There have also been eight goalless draws, a World Cup record. While some may view this negatively, it could also indicate increased competitive balance.

Attendance and atmosphere

Despite concerns over high ticket prices and travel distances, attendance has been strong. FIFA reports that 99.7% of available seats have been filled, with over 4.4 million people attending group stage matches and 6.2 million after the first two knockout rounds. The average attendance of just over 65,000 per match trails only the 1994 World Cup in the United States, which averaged nearly 69,000.

Golden Boot race

The tournament has also showcased top talent. The Golden Boot race features four of the world's best players: Argentina's Lionel Messi (8 goals), France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland (7 each), and England's Harry Kane (6). This is the first time in World Cup history that three players have scored seven or more goals in the same tournament.