FIFA World Cup 2022 total goals: Qatar's 172 highest-ever

Qatar 2022 eclipsed Brazil 2014 and France 1998 as the highest-scoring World Cup. Full list of goals scored in each World Cup.

2 minBy Ali Asgar Nalwala
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(Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

The FIFA World Cup 2022 saw some edge-of-the-seat football action with a total of 172 goals scored in 64 matches, averaging 2.68 goals per match. It was the highest number of goals scored in a single World Cup ahead of France 1998 and Brazil 2014 editions, which saw 171 goals each. 

Spain recorded the biggest win at Qatar 2022 with a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica in their opening group match followed by Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 and England’s 6-2 drubbing of Iran in the group stage.

Interestingly, England (13 goals) and Portugal (12 goals) also led the chart of the most goals scored by teams at FIFA World Cup 2022 before the semi-finals but were knocked out of the competition.

France, who had the services of Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappe, netted 16 goals and ended up as the highest goal-scorers in the tournament. Eventual champions Argentina came second with 15 goals.  

The first time a World Cup produced a hundred goals was at Switzerland 1954 – with 140. Since Spain 1982, all World Cups have produced at least a hundred goals. The lowest since then was 115 during Italy 1990.

Interestingly, the first two editions of the World Cup, hosted by Uruguay in 1930 and Italy in 1934, saw an identical 70 goals each.

FIFA World Cup 2022 total goals

FIFA World Cup total goals: By each edition

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