World Cup ExplorerWorld Cup Records
The Complete Record Book
Every World Cup from 2002 to 2026, reduced to its defining numbers — the matches, teams, tournaments, stadiums, and referees that made history.
World Cup matches
488
2002–2026
- Tournaments
- 7
- Teams
- 72
- Stadiums
- 90
- Referees
- 147
World Cup Statistics
Every tournament from 2002 to 2026, combined into one dataset — the numbers behind the whole competition.
Total attendance
25,920,351
- Matches
- 488
- Goals scored
- 1,273
- Goals per match
- 2.61
Tournament
- Teams
- 72
- Stadiums 90
- Referees
- 147
Attendance
- Average attendance
- 53,115
- Highest attendance
- 88,966
- Lowest attendance
- 23,871
Discipline
- Yellow cards
- 1,871
- 3.83 per match
- Red cards
- 89
- 0.18 per match
Match Outcomes
- Decided after extra time
- 17
- Decided on penalties
- 25
World Cup Record Book
The extremes of the tournament's history — every record and, where more than one holder shares it, every name behind it.
Matches
- Highest-scoring match
- 10
- Biggest victory margin
- 8
- Highest match attendance
- 88,966
- Lowest match attendance
- 23,871
Stadiums
- Most matches hosted
- 10
- Highest cumulative attendance
- 874,607
Referees
- Most matches officiated
- 11
- Most yellow cards shown
- 43
- Most red cards shown
- 5
Curated Collections
Beyond the rankings — real matches, editorially chosen to tell a specific story, not just record a number.
Every World Cup final from 2002 to 2026, in the order they were played — the matches that decided who lifted the trophy.Every World Cup match settled by a penalty shootout — 120 minutes with no winner, then the coldest test in football.Every knockout-stage match where the eventual winner was behind at half-time — a place in the tournament on the line, and a deficit overturned to keep it.Every World Cup match settled in extra time, with no need for penalties — 90 minutes level, then a winner found in the extra 30.
All-Time Team Rankings
Every World Cup match a team has ever played, combined into one all-time record — ranked by wins.
Top 10 by wins
GDPts
PlWDLGDPts
- Argentina39P · 28W–3D–8L+3187392838+3187
- Brazil39P · 27W–4D–8L+4085392748+4085
- Germany38P · 26W–3D–9L+4981382639+4981
- France40P · 24W–6D–10L+33784024610+3378
- Spain35P · 23W–4D–8L+3373352348+3373
- Netherlands27P · 19W–3D–5L+3060271935+3060
- England37P · 19W–8D–10L+24653719810+2465
- Belgium25P · 15W–5D–5L+1850251555+1850
- Portugal31P · 14W–7D–10L+18493114710+1849
- Croatia27P · 14W–4D–9L+346271449+346
