https://socceranalytics.net/ Original, data-driven football analysis. en Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-corners-matter-2026-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-corners-matter-2026-world-cup.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 The team that wins the corner count wins the match 52% of the time — a coin flip. What 184 team-games say about football's most over-celebrated statistic. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/norways-world-cup-by-the-numbers.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/norways-world-cup-by-the-numbers.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 Norway's first World Cup since 1998, quantified: four wins in five, a 22.6% conversion no rival matches, no clean sheets, and 66% of the ball against Brazil. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/the-shootout-discount-every-2022-penalty.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/the-shootout-discount-every-2022-penalty.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives All 64 penalties of the 2022 World Cup: in-game kicks scored at 74%, shootout kicks 63%. Where they went, who saved them, and what 2026's shootouts inherit. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/what-world-cup-keepers-actually-save.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/what-world-cup-keepers-actually-save.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives World Cup keepers saved 69% of on-target shots in 2022 — but 84% of weak ones and just 33% of big chances. A zone-by-zone, chance-by-chance census of every save. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-quarter-finalists-first-four.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-quarter-finalists-first-four.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 Full-tournament statistical profiles of Morocco, France, Norway and England — record, scoring, possession, shot volume and conversion across five games each. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-round-of-16-halfway.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-round-of-16-halfway.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 Four of eight last-16 ties are done: Morocco, France, Norway and England advance, Canada and Mexico are out — and the team with more shots lost three of the four. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-so-far-by-the-numbers.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-so-far-by-the-numbers.html Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 The 2026 World Cup, by the numbers from completed matches only: goals per game vs 2022, draws, and blowouts. A living snapshot, refreshed as games are played. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-the-knockouts-really-tighten-up.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-the-knockouts-really-tighten-up.html Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Everyone 'knows' knockouts get cautious. But at the 2022 World Cup chance quality per shot was near-identical, and knockouts averaged more shots and goals. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-knockout-stage-results-so-far.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/world-cup-2026-knockout-stage-results-so-far.html Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 Every completed 2026 World Cup knockout result so far, in one table — scoring down from the groups and more than half of the games decided by one goal. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/a-handful-of-chances-decide-a-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/a-handful-of-chances-decide-a-world-cup.html Sat, 04 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Chance quality at the 2022 World Cup was wildly unequal: half of all open-play shots produced just 18 of 152 goals, while the top 5% accounted for 28%. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/the-volley-is-not-a-wasteful-shot.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/the-volley-is-not-a-wasteful-shot.html Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Across 1,178 open-play foot shots at the 2022 World Cup, volleys converted at 15.2% and half-volleys at 10.4% — both beating the 9.8% of settled 'normal' shots. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/what-happens-to-a-world-cup-shot.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/what-happens-to-a-world-cup-shot.html Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Across 1,430 open-play shots at the 2022 World Cup, only 34% forced a save or went in — the most common outcome is missing the target entirely (37%). https://socceranalytics.net/articles/long-shots-vs-inside-the-box-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/long-shots-vs-inside-the-box-world-cup.html Sun, 28 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives At the 2022 World Cup, shots from outside the penalty box were 37% of all attempts but produced just 8% of the goals — 2.3% conversion against 15.6% inside. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-big-chances-get-scored-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/do-big-chances-get-scored-world-cup.html Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Every non-penalty 2022 World Cup shot, sorted by xG and checked against reality: 0–5% shots scored 2.6% of the time; 'big chances' of 35%+ went in 58.9%. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/headers-vs-feet-world-cup-finishing.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/headers-vs-feet-world-cup-finishing.html Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives At the 2022 World Cup, headers and feet converted at almost the same rate (11.1% vs 10.5%) — but only because headers come from higher-quality positions. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/2026-world-cup-scoring-cooling-still-highest-in-generations.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/2026-world-cup-scoring-cooling-still-highest-in-generations.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT World Cup 2026 Through 54 completed matches, the 2026 World Cup is averaging 2.98 goals a game — cooling from 3.26 early, yet still the highest-scoring World Cup since 1970. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/set-piece-goals-2022-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/set-piece-goals-2022-world-cup.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Tracing every 2022 World Cup goal to how the possession began: set pieces originated 30% of non-penalty goals, open play 46%; counters converted at 17.9%. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/when-world-cup-goals-are-scored.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/when-world-cup-goals-are-scored.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Mapping exactly when 2022 World Cup goals went in: the second half produced 61% to the first half's 39%, and stoppage time is wildly productive for its minutes. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/where-world-cup-players-aim.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/where-world-cup-players-aim.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Using StatsBomb's end-location data for every goal of the 2022 World Cup, we map exactly where inside the goal frame the ball crossed the line. https://socceranalytics.net/articles/who-overperformed-xg-2022-world-cup.html https://socceranalytics.net/articles/who-overperformed-xg-2022-world-cup.html Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Data Deep-Dives Using StatsBomb shot data for all 64 matches of the 2022 World Cup, we compare every team's goals to its xG. Finishing skill, hot streak, or luck?