Tournament Goals
| Year | Total Goals | Number Of Matches | Average Goals Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 147 | 64 | 2.30 |
| 2002 | 161 | 64 | 2.52 |
| 1998 | 171 | 64 | 2.67 |
| 1994 | 141 | 52 | 2.71 |
| 1990 | 115 | 52 | 2.21 |
| 1986 | 132 | 52 | 2.54 |
| 1982 | 146 | 52 | 2.81 |
1982 was the first year that there were group stages and then sixteen knockout games (from second round to final) so it seems best to examine only these for tournament goals as they most resemble the current format.
Range Of Goals
According to the figures the most goals we can expect at the 2010 World Cup is 180 and the least amount of goals is 141. This is a massive range which need to be narrowed down further.
Even over the last three World Cups, which are the only World Cups that have featured 64 games, there is a range of 24 goals between the lowest and highest amount of goals.
Clues From The European Championships
Like the recent World Cups, the recent European Championships have seen a decreasing amount of goals in recent years. Euro 2008 though had exactly the same amount of goals as Euro 2004. This is an indication the style of play is similar to how it has been over the last four years or so meaning the number of goals should be most similar to the 2006 figure of 147.
How To Pick The Number Of Goals
To guess the exact number the sides that have qualified need to be examined. Looking at the standard of attacking talent in the better sides and how bad the worse sides are should give an indication of whether it is likely to be a bit higher or a bit lower than 147. If a few relatively very poor sides qualify and the better teams have some very good strikers on show then the goals might be as high as 153 - 155. If the poorest sides in the World Cup are still decent enough then there might only be as few goals as 142-144.
At the moment we would suggest backing around 150 goals in the 2010 World Cup.
