Cup starts in the number of goals and may be the top scorer of the current format

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With the help of Brazil, which thrashed South Korea 4-1, and especially Portugal, which ran over Switzerland (6-1), the Qatar Cup gave a boost in the number of goals in the round of 16.

The World Cup equaled the average recorded in 2018, in Russia, and will see if, in the final stretch, he will manage to become the highest scorer since the introduction of the current format, with 32 teams, from 1998.

After the group stage ended, the 2022 Cup was averaging 2.5 goals per match. If she stayed until the end, the first World Cup in the Middle East, which has already equaled the record of matches at 0-0 (seven), would be marked as one of the lowest scorers in the history of the competition.

Of the 22 editions played, the ones with the lowest average goals are Italy-1990 (2.21), South Africa-2010 (2.37), Germany-2006 (2.3) and South Korea/ Japan-2002 (2.52).

However, to the delight of the fans and the satisfaction of the organizers, the eight matches of the first round of the knockout rounds had a lot of goals, 28, an average of 3.5 per game, which was only not higher because Spain and Morocco drew without opening the scoring. .

There are eight clashes left for the end of the Cup, and, before the start of the quarterfinals, the Qatari competition has an average of 2.64 goals per game, identical to that recorded by the Russian Cup when it ended.

Since the Cup began to be disputed by 32 countries, 24 years ago, and the number of games is always 64, the highest scoring editions were 1998, in France, and 2014, in Brazil, with 171 goals each an average of 2.67.

That is, the Qatar Cup is very close to surpassing this mark. It is enough that the attacks, from this Friday (9) until the day of the final – Sunday (18)–, repeat the performance of the round of 16.

But even if the 2022 World Cup rises in the average of goals scored per game, it will be far from the record holder in World Cups, Switzerland-1954, which had 16 selections: 5.38 (140 goals in 26 matches).

A time when football was mega-offensive, with teams playing in a 2-3-5 scheme (two defenders, three midfielders and five forwards), so much so that previous Cups also had very high goal averages (4.67 in France -1938, for example). Time that no longer exists.

See below the total number of goals and the average per match, Cup by Cup.

  • Uruguay-1930 (13 selections)

Goals: 70. Games: 18. Average per game: 3.89

  • Italy-1934 (16 selections)

Goals: 70. Games: 17. Average per game: 4.12

  • France-1938 (15 selections)

Goals: 84. Games: 18. Average per game: 4.67

  • Brazil-1950 (13 selections)

Goals: 88. Games: 22. Average per game: 4

  • Switzerland-1954 (16 selections)

Goals: 140. Games: 26. Average per game: 5.38

  • Sweden-1958 (16 selections)

Goals: 126. Games: 35. Average per game: 3.6

  • Chile-1962 (16 selections)

Goals: 89. Games: 32. Average per game: 2.78

  • England-1966 (16 selections)

Goals: 89. Games: 32. Average per game: 2.78

  • Mexico-1970 (16 selections)

Total goals: 95. Games: 32. Average per game: 2.97

  • Germany-1974 (16 selections)

Total goals: 97. Games: 38. Average per game: 2.55

  • Argentina-1978 (16 selections)

Total goals: 102. Games: 38. Average per game: 2.68

  • Spain-1982 (24 selections)

Total goals: 146. Games: 52. Average per game: 2.81

  • Mexico-1986 (24 selections)

Total goals: 132. Games: 52. Average per game: 2.54

  • Italy-1990 (24 selections)

Total goals: 115. Games: 52. Average per game: 2.21

Total goals: 141. Games: 52. Average per game: 2.71

  • France-1998 (32 selections)

Total goals: 171. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.67

  • Korea/Japan-2002 (32 selections)

Total goals: 161. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.52

  • Germany-2006 (32 selections)

Total goals: 147. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.3

  • South Africa-2010 (32 selections)

Total goals: 145. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.27

  • Brazil-2014 (32 selections)

Total goals: 171. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.67

  • Russia-2018 (32 selections)

Total goals: 169. Games: 64. Average per game: 2.64

  • Qatar-2022* (32 selections)

Total goals: 148. Games: 56. Average per game: 2.64

*In progress, 8 games to go

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