The 2026 FIFA World Cup is barely past its opening round, and the tournament has already delivered a stat line that looks like it was pulled from a video game. Seventy-five goals across the first 24 matches. That works out to 3.1 goals per game, the highest scoring rate at a World Cup since 1958.
For context, the 1958 tournament in Sweden was the one that introduced the world to a 17-year-old Pelé. Nearly seven decades later, the goals are flowing at the same pace, this time across a sprawling 48-team format co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Messi and Kane rewrite the record books
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick, bringing his career World Cup goal tally to 16. That ties Miroslav Klose’s all-time record.
The hat-trick was the only one recorded across the opening 24 fixtures. Seven different players managed to score twice in their opening matches, with Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland among that group.
