Football Deep Dives
Data-driven long reads exploring the history, statistics, and stories of international football.
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96 Years of World Cup, in Numbers
From 13 teams in Montevideo to 48 across North America, the World Cup has worn six different formats in its lifetime. With Argentina's defence of the trophy a month away, this is how every edition has shaped the game - the goals, the upsets, the slow rebalancing of football's global map.
More Features
World Football Report
A data-driven recap of international football's first quarter, from Senegal's AFCON coronation to the final World Cup qualifying drama and Japan's stunning English conquest.
The Group Stage Numbers Game
Not all World Cup groups are created equal. Group B has produced more goals than any other, Group F is a graveyard for attackers, and Group C has the most goalless draws. Which group would you want to be drawn in?
The Centurions
Only 15 teams in the history of international football have faced 100 or more different opponents. These are the most globally connected nations in the game, teams that have travelled the world and taken on all comers.
37 Games Without Defeat
From October 2018 to September 2021, Italy went on the longest unbeaten streak in international football history. 37 matches, a European Championship, and a climb from 47th to 2nd in the world. Then they failed to qualify for the World Cup.
The Nations League Effect
In 2018, UEFA launched the Nations League to replace meaningless friendlies with competitive football. Four editions later, 660 games and 1,654 goals paint a story of upsets, rising nations, and some of the most dramatic nights in European football. Spain have won it twice, but the real winners might be the teams no one expected.
The Curse of the Champions
Defending a World Cup title is the hardest job in football. From Italy's 1938 triumph to France's 2022 cruise, history shows that opening games can be anything from comfortable wins to humiliating upsets. As Argentina prepare to face Algeria in 2026, what does the record really tell us?
The First International Matches Ever Played
Before stadiums held thousands, before the World Cup existed, four British nations invented international football. 125 games, 667 goals, and nearly three decades of history. Visualised for the first time.
When Champions Collide
The fascinating history of matches between World Cup winners from different confederations, where the proven champions of Europe and South America have battled for continental supremacy since 1962.
New articles are published regularly as the WFStats database grows. Each piece uses official match data.