FIFA

Earliest Goals in World Cup Final History

Research shows many teams that score within the first 15 minutes of World Cup final play end up losing the game

You would think that it's a positive sign to score an early goal in a World Cup final.

That not might actually be the case as research shows that the majority of teams who score an early goal in the final of the prestigious event, oftentimes go on to lose.

To be exact, of eight teams that have scored within the first 15 minutes of a World Cup final, six have gone on to be crowned as runner-ups.

As France gets ready to take on Argentina on Sunday, let's take a look at the earliest goals in World Cup final history:

What are the six teams that scored within the first 15 minutes of a World Cup final and went on to lose?

Italy defeated France in 2006 World Cup final (France scored in 7 min)

West Germany defeated the Netherlands in 1974 World Cup final (Netherlands scored in 2 min)

England defeated West Germany in 1966 World Cup (West Germany scored in 12 min)

Brazil defeated Czechoslovakia in 1962 World Cup final (Czechoslovakia scored in 15 min)

Brazil defeated Sweeden in 1958 World Cup final (Sweeden scored in 4 min)

West Germany defeated Hungry in 1954 World Cup final (Hungry scored in 6 min)

What are the fastest-ever World Cup goals?

In the 2022 World Cup final, soccer fans saw France score against Morocco in the fifth minute of play. How does that rank all-time?

The five fastest World Cup goals, according to FIFA, are as follows:

  1. Hakan Sukur, Turkey-Korea Republic, 2002 (0:11)
  2. Vaclav Masek, Czechoslovakia-Mexico, 1962 (0:15)
  3. Ernest Lehner, Germany-Austria, 1934 (0:25)
  4. Bryan Robson, England-France, 1982 (0:28)
  5. Clint Dempsey, USA-Ghana, 2014 (0:30)

What are the chances a team wins a World Cup final when scoring early?

If a team scores a goal within 15 minutes of a World Cup final, there is a "77% chance of victory...whereas if the first goal is scored between 75 and 90 minutes, there is a predicted 97% chance of victory," according to data from a Spiideo press release.

Well, there is no doubt that a World Cup final is packed with emotion, stress and pressure, which may have to do with these shocking stats.

"This [data] suggests that scoring an early goal may not be as advantageous in a World Cup final and suggests, though not statistically significant, that it may be psychologically disadvantageous," according to statistic expert Matthew Penn.

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