DOHA, Qatar — We’re not even through the group stage yet, but there have already been more goals scored by substitutes at the 2022 World Cup than in the whole of the last tournament.
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With one matchday left, the group stage in Qatar has seen players coming off the bench to find the net on 22 separate occasions, six more than at Russia 2018. It is already the third-highest total in World Cup history although still short of the all-time record of 32 from 2014 when, appropriately, substitute Mario Gotze scored the winner in extra time as Germany beat Argentina 1-0 at the Maracana Stadium.
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an outlier — with eight more goals scored by subs than the second highest (24) at Germany 2006 — yet this World Cup is on course to potentially break that record. Some 19% of total goals in Brazil (171) were scored by substitutes. The 22 in Qatar, from 106 overall, yields 1% more so far.
So what is going on?
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