What World Cup 2026’s data says about Spain’s title and the expanded format

Spain emerged as World Cup 2026 champions in the biggest edition of the tournament so far, with 48 teams playing 104 matches and producing 308 goals. The data picture points to a competition defined not only by scale, but by how well teams managed imbalance, conditions and squad depth.

The expanded format brought a high scoring rate of 2.96 goals per game and a reported record average FIFA ranking gap of 27.3 places between opponents. Higher-ranked sides won 68.3 per cent of matches, while lower-ranked teams won only 12.5 per cent, though results such as New Zealand’s draw with Iran and Cape Verde’s draw with Spain showed there was still room for resistance.

Physical management became a major theme. The tournament had the oldest average starting XIs on record at 28 years and 132 days, while travel demands varied sharply: England and Spain were listed among the teams covering the greatest distances, while co-host Mexico had a much lighter travel load. Heat, humidity and altitude were also linked to changes in running output and match rhythm, with hydration breaks creating extra tactical reset points.

Set-pieces, penalties and substitutes shaped key moments, too. Around a quarter of goals came from dead-ball situations, stuttered penalty run-ups were reported to have a lower conversion rate than non-stuttered attempts, and substitutes scored about one-fifth of all goals. Spain’s campaign stood out for balance: limited set-piece reliance, depth strong enough for Ferran Torres to decide the final from the bench, and a defence that conceded just one goal across the tournament.