Something unusual is happening at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Teams are crossing the ball less than at any tournament since tracking began six decades ago, yet they’re scoring from those crosses at a rate that has analysts doing double-takes at their spreadsheets.
Through the first 48 matches of the expanded 48-team format, 29 teams have scored at least one goal within five seconds of a cross into the box. That’s roughly 60% of the entire field finding the net from wide deliveries.
Less volume, more venom
The average number of crosses per game sits at 31.5, a decline of about 10% from the 2022 tournament in Qatar. That figure represents the lowest crossing rate for any World Cup since records began in 1966.
Yet the tournament has produced 47 goals from crosses in those first 48 matches. That works out to roughly 0.98 goals per game.
