Since the first World Cup in 1930, the tournament has seen its fair share of incredible goals and unprecedented victories.
But what is the highest scoring match in World Cup history? This is what you need to know.
What is the highest scoring match in World Cup history?
The highest scoring game in World Cup history was a 12-goal thriller between Austria and Switzerland, the then tournament host, during the 1954 World Cup.
Austria beat Switzerland 7-5 in a quarter-final match in which Austria’s Theodor Wagner and Switzerland’s Josef Hugi scored a hat-trick.
Several all-time goalscoring records were set during that same tournament in 1954, including the highest average goals scored per game.
The 1954 World Cup was eventually won 3-2 by West Germany, who defeated an exceptionally strong Hungarian team captained by football legend Fernc Puskas.
In the five years leading up to the final, Hungary went unbeaten for 31 matches and had even beaten West Germany 8-3 earlier in the tournament during the group stage.
These are the five games with the highest score in World Cup history:
- Austria 7-5 Switzerland – 1954
- Brazil 6-5 Poland – 1938
- Hungary 8-3 West Germany – 1954
- Hungary 10-1 El Salvador – 1982
- France 7-3 Paraguay – 1958
What is the biggest win in World Cup history?
During the 2014 World Cup, eventual winners Germany humiliated host nation Brazil with a 7-1 win during the semi-final in what would turn out to be the biggest loss by a host country.
However, despite the magnitude of Germany’s victory, it is not the most lopsided win in World Cup history.
The biggest victory in World Cup history dates back to 1982, when Hungary defeated El Salvador 10-1. The match saw Laszlo Kiss become the first substitute player to score three goals during a World Cup match.
The six biggest wins in World Cup history are:
- Hungary 10-1 El Salvador – 1982
- Yugoslavia 9-0 Zaire – 1974
- Hungary 9-0 South Korea – 1954
- Germany 8-0 Saudi Arabia – 2002
- Uruguay 8-0 Bolivia – 1950
- Sweden 8-0 Cuba – 1938
What is the game with the highest score for a World Cup final?
The highest scoring final took place in 1958 in a match between Brazil and Sweden, the host country at the time. Brazil won the game 5-2 in a game in which the 17-year-old Pelé became the youngest player to score a goal in a World Cup final.
The 1958 final also saw Brazil win the first of their record five World Cup titles. Teenage sensation Pelé won two more World Cup titles with Brazil in 1962 and 1970 before announcing his retirement from international football in 1971.