Why will the 2026 World Cup have so many goals?

In the first 40 matches of the 2026 World Cup, 121 goals were scored, averaging 3 goals per match. The question is, "Why will the 2026 World Cup have so many goals?"

The 2026 World Cup is one of the highest-scoring tournaments in history to date, with nearly 25% more goals scored than in any previous World Cup.

One reason for the increase in the number of goals could be the type of ball FIFA is using for this tournament - the TRIONDA ball.

The TRIONDA ball is one of the reasons why players will score so many goals at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: FIFA

FIFA states that the TRIONDA ball is designed with deep seams to create “optimal stability in flight,” while players and coaches report the ball travels towards the goalkeeper at very high speeds. Additionally, the ball has enhanced grip to aid shooting and dribbling in wet or humid conditions.

According to Austria's coach Ralf Rangnick, "this ball is as fast as a cannonball" and "if you shoot the ball in the right place, it's very difficult to stop."

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Matches are longer due to increased injury time for water breaks, a new rule in this tournament that also contributes to creating more opportunities for players to score goals. In addition, the tournament has a greater disparity in skill levels due to the expansion of the number of participating teams to 48, for the first time in World Cup history, and this will be implemented starting from the 2026 World Cup.

Colombia's national team coach, Néstor Lorenzo, said he was not surprised by the number of goals scored, given the talent of the players at the World Cup. He also added that strikers today receive more attention and protection than in the past.

“Twenty or thirty years ago, when they were fouled more often and rough play was more prevalent, they didn’t have this protection,” said coach Néstor Lorenzo. “Today, any team that defends well, counter-attacks, and tries to play football can achieve good results.”

To date, Lionel Messi has scored 5 goals at the 2026 World Cup. Photo: FIFA

As a result, fans witnessed 121 goals in the first 40 matches of the tournament, many of which were scored by famous players such as Lionel Messi (5 goals), Kylian Mbappe (4 goals), Erling Haaland (4 goals), and Harry Kane (2 goals). In the first 40 matches of the tournament, 121 goals were scored by 88 players. There were only 3 0-0 draws, and 8 goals were own goals.

The tournament is on track to break the record of 172 goals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, these two records cannot be directly compared, as the 2022 tournament only had 64 matches compared to this year's 104.

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According to AP, the scoring trend isn't just evident at the World Cup. Records have also been set in the last two Champions League seasons: 3.27 goals per game in the 2024-2025 season and 3.47 goals per game in the 2025-2026 season.

Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/vi-sao-world-cup-2026-nhieu-ban-thang-1045748