The FIFA World Cup may come around after a long gap of four years, but it is certainly special to football fans and people who don’t often watch football alike. With just one match left, the wait begins for the 2022 World Cup, Qatar. Here are some interesting facts that sum up this World Cup till now.
Most competitive first round
61.5% of the victories in the first round were by single-goal margins, proving how difficult it was to reach the opponent’s net. 16 goals were scored after the 90 minute mark, and this tournament has seen the highest proportion of stoppage time goals.
The holder’s curse is not a mere urban legend
The last five World Cups have consistently seen the previous winners bidding goodbye in the first round itself. Big teams that include France, Germany, Italy and Spain have experienced this curse first-hand.
Top Teams have struggled
Since long, teams like Argentina, Brazil, Germany and Spain have been top favourites. Surprisingly, teams like Belgium, Croatia, England and Japan have been prominent while the favourites have just managed to scrape through. It is safe to say that this has been the most unpredictable World Cup ever.
Fouls are lesser
The 2018 edition has seen a considerable decrease in the number of fouls, accounting to 24.5 fouls per game, which is the lowest in the last 50 years. However, the number of cards handed out to players is higher than the previous time.
VAR and penalties
14.8% of the goals scored in this tournament were the result of penalties proposed by the Video Assistance Referee.
