The 2026 World Cup told by the numbers
Between goals galore, African selections which impressed and extraordinary individual performances for Messi, Mbappé and Deschamps, the 2026 World Cup delivered statistics for each facet of the competition. Overview of the key figures from this edition.
Spain, intractable champion
Winner of the tournament, Spain won its second world title after that of 2010, thus joining France in the number of coronations. Rare fact: La Roja has never trailed in the entire tournament, a performance that no team has achieved since Germany in 1990.
Opposite, Argentina was playing its 7th world final, a total equal to that of Brazil and lower only than that of Germany (8). But the final will also be remembered for a statistical anomaly: Argentina finished regulation time without having attempted a single shot on goal, a first in the history of World Cup finals.
A historic ratio
The competition consisted of 104 matches in total, with a systematic cooling break at each half, making 208 breaks over the entire tournament.
In terms of achievements, 297 goals were scored, bringing the average to 2.85 goals per match: the best ratio since the 1970 World Cup and its 2.97 goals average. The tournament also gave rise to 9 extra periods, or 28% of knockout matches, and only 4 penalty shootouts.
Messi, Mbappé and Deschamps in history
Lionel Messi became the best passer in the history of the World Cup with 12 offerings, ahead of his compatriot Diego Maradona (8). Top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals, Kylian Mbappé has above all reached a historic milestone: with this total, he becomes the top scorer in the history of the World Cup, with 22 goals, ahead of Lionel Messi (21) and Miroslav Klose (16).
His teammate Michael Olise is not to be outdone, with 7 assists delivered, a record since this statistic existed in the World Cup, i.e. 1966.
On the bench side, Didier Deschamps ends his adventure at the head of the Blues in style: with 19 victories in the final phase of the World Cup, he becomes the most successful coach in the history of the competition, ahead of the German Helmut Schön (16 successes).
A small finale with twists and turns
The small final between France and England (6-4 English victory) offered an offensive festival with 10 goals scored, a total most seen in this match since the Hungary-El Salvador meeting in 1982 (10-1).
A historic crowd
According to FIFA figures, more than 6.7 million spectators (6,730,303 exactly) attended the tournament matches in the stadiums.
Anecdotes that marked the competition
The tournament did not lack unusual moments: a red card inflicted on American striker Folarin Balogun was canceled after an intervention by Donald Trump, without preventing the elimination of the United States in the round of 16 against Belgium (4-1 defeat). Another curiosity, the Paraguay team did not receive any yellow cards during their round of 16 loss to France (0-1).
Africa at the rendezvous
On the continental level, 9 of the 10 African selections entered qualified for the round of 32, a score only surpassed by Europe (13 qualified out of its representatives). The rest of the journey, however, proved more complicated: only two African teams reached the eighth, and only one the quarter-finals, Morocco.
Finally, the competition was marked by 14 red cards distributed throughout the tournament.
Read also: World Cup 2026: the African results in figures
All groups and results of the 2026 World Cup
Group A : Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B : Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C : Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D : United States, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
Group E : Germany, Curaçao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F : Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G : Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H : Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I : France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J : Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K : Portugal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L : England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The full program of matches for the 2026 World Cup
June 11
Mexico 2-0 South Africa (Azteca Stadium, Mexico) – Group A
June 12
South Korea 2-1 Czechia (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara) – Group A
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group B
June 13
United States 4-1 Paraguay (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles) – Group D
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland (Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco) – Group B
June 13
Brazil 1-1 Morocco (MetLife Stadium, New York) – Group C
June 14
Haiti 0-1 Scotland (Gillette Stadium, Boston) – Group C
Australia 2-0 Türkiye (BC Place, Vancouver) – Group D
Germany 7-1 Curaçao (NRG Stadium, Houston) – Group E
The Netherlands 2-2 Japan (AT&T Stadium, Arlington) – Group F
Ivory Coast 1-0 Ecuador (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia) – Group E-
June 15
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia (Estadio BBVA, Monterrey) – Group F
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) – Group H
Belgium 1-1 Egypt (Lumen Field, Seattle) – Group G
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami) – Group H
June 16
Iran 2-2 New Zealand (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles) – Group G
France 3-1 Senegal (MetLife Stadium, New York) – Group I
Iraq 1-4 Norway (Gillette Stadium, Boston) – Group I
June 17
Argentina 3-0 Algeria (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City) – Group J
Austria 3-1 Jordan (Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco) – Group J
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo (NRG Stadium, Houston) – Group K
England 4-2 Croatia (AT&T Stadium, Arlington) (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group L
Ghana 1-0 Panama (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group L
June 18
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia (Estadio Azteca, Mexico) – Group K
Czechia 1-1 South Africa (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) – Group A
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles) – Group B
Canada 6-0 Qatar (BC Place, Vancouver) – Group B
June 19
Mexico 1-0 South Korea (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara) – Group A
USA 2-0 Australia (Lumen Field, Seattle) – Group D
Scotland 0-1 Morocco (Gillette Stadium, Boston) – Group C
June 20
Brazil 3-0 Haiti (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia) – Group C
Türkiye 0-1 Paraguay (Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco) – Group D
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (NRG Stadium, Houston) – Group F
Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group E
June 21
Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City) – Group E
Tunisia 0-4 Japan (Estadio BBVA, Monterrey) – Group F
Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) – Group H
Belgium 0-0 Iran (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles) – Group G
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami) – Group H
June 22
New Zealand 1-3 Egypt (BC Place, Vancouver) – Group G
Argentina 2-0 Austria (AT&T Stadium, Arlington) – Group J
France 3-0 Iraq (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia) – Group I
June 23
Norway 3-2 Senegal (MetLife Stadium, New York) – Group I
Jordan 1-2 Algeria (Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco) – Group J
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan (NRG Stadium, Houston) – Group K
England 0-0 Ghana (Gillette Stadium, Boston) – Group L
Panama 0-1 Croatia (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group L
June 24
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara) – Group K
Switzerland 2-1 Canada (BC Place, Vancouver) – Group B
Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar (Lumen Field, Seattle) – Group B
Scotland 0-3 Brazil (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami) – Group C
Morocco 4-2 Haiti (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) – Group C
June 25
Czechia 0-3 Mexico (Azteca Stadium, Mexico) – Group A
South Africa 1-0 South Korea (BBVA Stadium, Monterrey) – Group A
Curacao 0-2 Ivory Coast (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia) – Group E
Ecuador 2-1 Germany (MetLife Stadium, New York) – Group E
Japan 1-1 Sweden (AT&T Stadium, Arlington) – Group F
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City) – Group F
June 26
Türkiye 3-2 United States (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles) – Group D
Paraguay 0-0 Australia (Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco) – Group D
Norway 1-4 France (Gillette Stadium, Boston) – Group I
Senegal 5-0 Iraq (BMO Field, Toronto) – Group I
June 27
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia (NRG Stadium, Houston) – Group H
Uruguay 0-1 Spain (Estadio Akron, Guadalajara) – Group H
Egypt 1-1 Iran (Lumen Field, Seattle) – Group G
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium (BC Place, Vancouver) – Group G
Panama 0-2 England (MetLife Stadium, New York) – Group L
Croatia 2-1 Ghana (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia) – Group L
Colombia 0-0 Portugal (Hard Rock Stadium, Miami) – Group K
DR Congo 3-1 Uzbekistan (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta) – Group K
June 28
Algeria 3-3 Austria (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City) – Group J
Jordan 1-3 Argentina (AT&T Stadium, Arlington) – Group J
16th final
June 28
Canada 1-0 South Africa
June 29
Brazil 2-1 Japan in Houston
Germany 1-1, 3 tab to 4 Paraguay in Boston
June 30
The Netherlands 1-1, 2 tab to 3 Morocco in Monterrey
Ivory Coast 1-2 Norway in Dallas
France 3-0 Sweden to New York
July 1
Mexico 2-0 Ecuador to Mexico
England 2-1 DR Congo to Atlanta
Belgium 3-2 ap Senegal to Seattle
July 2
USA 2-0 Bosnia Herzegovina to San Francisco
Spain 3-0 Austria to Los Angeles
Portugal 2-1 Croatia to Toronto
July 3
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria in Vancouver
Australia 1-1, 2 tab to 4 Egypt in Dallas
Argentina 3-2 ap Cape Verde to Miami
July 4
Ghana 0-1 Colombia in Kansas City
8th final
July 4
Canada 0-3 Morocco in Houston
France 1-0 Paraguay to Philadelphia
July 5
Brazil 1-2 Norway in New York
July 6
Mexico 2-3 England in Mexico
Portugal 0-1 Spain in Dallas
July 7
UNITED STATES 1-4 Belgium in Seattle
Argentina 3-2 Egypt to Atlanta
Switzerland 0-0, 4 tab to 3 Colombia to Vancouver
Quarter-finals
July 9
Morocco 0-2 France in Boston (QF1)
July 10
Spain 2-1 Belgium to Los Angeles (QF2)
July 11
Norway 1-2 ap England in Miami (QF3)
July 12
Argentina 3-1 ap Switzerland to Kansas City (QF4)
Semi-finals
July 14
France 0-2 Spain in Dallas (DF1)
July 15
England 1-2 Argentina in Atlanta (DF2)
Third place
July 18
France 4-6 England in Miami
Final
July 19
Spain 1-0 ap Argentina to New York
Oumar Boubacar NDONGO
