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Olivier Giroud, alongside Kylian Mbappe, raises the trophy after France beat Croatia 4-2 to win the country’s second World Cup at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Photo: Kyodo

Fifa World Cup stats: Russia 2018 by the numbers as records tumble

Feast on all the incredible statistics you may have missed from an unforgettable four and a half weeks of football

The 2018 World Cup sent plenty of records tumbling, and threw up some fascinating numbers over four and a half weeks of thrilling football.

It was a festival of fun in Russia, ranking right up there among the best World Cups – if not the best of all time.

Here are some of the standout statistics from a tournament that will be hard to surpass, and impossible to forget.

Harry Kane scores his sixth goal of the World Cup against Colombia. Photo: Kyodo

GOALS

Total goals: 169 in 64 games – down two goals from Brazil 2014

Average goals per game: 2.64 – down slightly on 2.7 average from Brazil 2014, but up from the 2.3 average from 2006 and 2010.

Most goals conceded: Panama – 11 goals conceded in 3 games, 6 against England

Top scoring team: Belgium – 16 in 7 games

Highest scoring player: Harry Kane (6)

Lowest scoring team: Germany – 2 in three games

Total own goals: 12 – the previous record at a World Cup was 7. Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic became the first player to score an own goal in a World Cup final

First-half goals: 65

Second-half goals: 101

Added-time goals (excluding extra-time): 9 – more than any previous World Cup

John Stones celebrates scoring for England – who were the kings of set pieces in Russia. Photo: Reuters

Goals from set pieces: 73 – working out at 43 per cent of all goals, the highest figure at a World Cup since 1966. England scored 9 times from set pieces – also more than any team at a World Cup since 1966

Goalless draws: 1 – Russia 2018 went 35 games without a 0-0 draw, until eventual winners France drew with Denmark in the group stage

Penalties awarded: 22 – a record number at a World Cup

Penalties from VAR reviews: 9 – including Antoine Griezmann’s in the final

Missed penalties: 7 – including misses from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo

Fastest goal: 55 seconds – Mathias Jorgensen for Denmark against Croatia, in the last 16

Most different goalscorers: Belgium (10) – equalling France’s record from 1982 and Italy’s from 2006.

Highest scoring matches (7): Belgium 5-2 Tunisia, England 6-1 Panama

Biggest goal differential (5): Russia 5-0 Saudi Arabia, England 6-1 Panama

Kasper Schmeichel saves a penalty in the shoot-out against Croatia. Photo: EPA

SHOTS AND SAVES

Total shots: 1,623 – down 75 from Brazil 2014

Shots on target: 506 – down 82 from Brazil 2014

Most attacks: England – 321

Most saves: Thibaut Courtois – 27

Best save percentage: Kasper Schmeichel for Denmark (89.5 per cent) – 15 shots of 17 on goal saved

Spain and Sergio Ramos played their usual possession game – but it didn’t help them much. Photo: AFP

PASSING

Most possession: Spain – 74.7 per cent

Least possession: Iran – 26.5 per cent

Passes: 59,255 – up 4,460 from Brazil 2014

Passes completed: 49,647

Average passes per match: 775.7

Most passes (team): England – 3,336 completed

Best passer: Sergio Ramos – completed 94.5 per cent of his 508 passes for Spain

Polish referee Szymon Marciniak sends off Germany defender Jerome Boateng against Sweden. Photo: AFP

DISCIPLINE

Red cards: 4 – the lowest number since 1968, with none issued for violent conduct, and down from 10 in 2014, 17 in 2010 and 28 in 2006

Yellow cards: 219

Fouls: 1,732 – down 185 from Brazil 2014

Most fouled player: Eden Hazard (27 times) – just ahead of Neymar (26 times)

Cristiano Ronaldo runs with the ball against Iran. Photo: AFP

SPEED DEMONS

Fastest speed: Cristiano Ronaldo (21.1 miles per hour), just ahead of Ante Rebic and Marcus Rashford (21.0mph) – England had four players in the top 10 fastest (Kyle Walker, Jesse Lingard and Raheem Sterling too)

Most sprints: Ivan Perisic (357), Thomas Meunier (287), Ante Rebic (282) – Croatia had five in the top 10 (Sime Vrsaljko, Mario Mandzukic and Luka Modric too)

Most distance run: Ivan Perisic (72.5km) – Croatia made up five of the top 10, with England and France completing the rest

Slowest outfield player: Cristian Zapata of Colombia (clocked 10.6mph during four-minute substitute appearance against England)

Mexico fans celebrate in the crowd during the World Cup match against South Korea at the Rostov Arena. Photo: AFP

ATTENDANCE

Average attendance: 47, 371

Total attendance: 3,031,768 over 64 matches

Largest attendance: Russia v Saudi Arabia (78,011)

Lowest attendance: Egypt v Uruguay (27,015)

Belgium players acknowledge the supporters after their 2-0 win against England in the World Cup playoff for third place at St Petersburg Stadium. Photo: Kyodo

AND THE REST …

Longest winning streak: Belgium (5 games)

Longest unbeaten streak: France (7 games)

Oldest team: Iceland (30 years, 149 days average)

Youngest team: Nigeria (25 years, 62 days)

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