Lots of goals! The Super Ball, extra time and extended field have launched a record-breaking goal rush at the 2026 World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be an exciting showdown with a remarkable 25% increase in goal scores compared to the last tournament. (AP photo) The ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup has turned into an absolute goal fest, treating global football fans to a historic scoring blitz. The tournament has seen a staggering 25 percent increase in goals compared to the same period the previous year, making it one of the highest-scoring spectacles in football history.An incredible 121 goals were scored in the first 40 games, an average of three goals per game. Experts point to three unique factors behind this goal rush: a highly advanced official ball designed with deep seams for extra speed, longer matches thanks to a newly introduced hydration-related stoppage time, and an expanded field of 48 teams that widened the gap between competing talent.“This ball is fast as a cannonball. If you kick it right, it is extremely difficult to save,” commented Austria manager Ralf Rangnick.

The English Premier League rules

More than half of the tournament’s total goals came from stars playing in the top flight in England, Germany and Spain, with the English Premier League (EPL) leading the way with 28 goals. England’s dominance was perfectly highlighted during the Netherlands’ 5-1 rout of Sweden, where all six goals were converted by players competing in the 2025-26 EPL.“I think the Premier League is more intense than this World Cup, but it’s still a beautiful tournament with quality matches,” commented Arsenal and Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli.

Ranking of power clubs Madrid, Liverpool and Messi

At club level, European heavyweights Real Madrid and Liverpool are at the top alongside Inter Miami of Major League Soccer (MLS). Real Madrid’s stars hit the net six times thanks to Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick, Vinicius Júnior’s brace and Jude Bellingham’s strike.With them, Liverpool equaled the Dutch trio of Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk, Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Swedish Alexander Isak with six goals. Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s lofty rating rests solely on the shoulders of Lionel Messi, who followed up his hat-trick in the opener against Algeria on Monday with another clinical performance against Austria.With only three goalless draws recorded so far, the tournament got off to a comfortable start, completely surpassing the all-time record of 172 goals set at Qatar 2022.