12 goals in 90 minutes - Highest goal-scoring match in FIFA World Cup

The current generation of football fans fondly remembers the FIFA World Cup 2014 semi-final between Germany and Brazil, which finished in favour of the Germans 7-1. Interestingly, that match does not make it to the top ten list of the most goals scored in a single match at this level. 

Austria and Switzerland played out one of football’s most unforgettable matches in the 1954 World Cup. The Austrians narrowly emerged victorious 7-5 and a total of 12 goals were scored in that match, which continues to top the list of most goals in a single match after nearly seven decades. 

Here’s the top ten list of most goals scored in a match at the FIFA World Cup. 

Highest goal-scoring match in FIFA World Cup

12 goals | Austria vs Switzerland, 1954 World Cup

The famous Austria-Switzerland clash in the 1954 World Cup saw the Austrians pip the hosting nation 7-5. No other World Cup match in history witnessed more goals than this fixture, where both sides had a footballer scoring a hat-trick each. 

Theodor Wagner scored twice in the first half and added another early in the second to complete his triplet, whilst Josef Hugi’s hat-trick for Switzerland went in vain. 

11 goals | Hungary vs El Salvador, 1982 World Cup

Hungary’s 10-1 win is the only instance where 10 goals were scored in a single match at the FIFA World Cup. Interestingly, Hungary feature three times in the top ten list of most goals scored in a match, winning all three matches convincingly. 

Laszlo Kiss completed a hat-trick, whilst Laszlo Fazekas and Tibor Nyilasi scored two goals each at the Nuevo Estadio.  

11 goals | Hungary vs West Germany, 1954 World Cup

The Hungarian team in 1954 boasted some of the greatest attackers in football history - Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Kocsis and Zolton Czibor, who went on to represent Barcelona in club football later. The side thrashed plenty of opponents on their way to the final, including a sensational 8-3 win against West Germany. 

Kocsis scored four times that day, whilst Puskas and Jozef Toth scored one each. Unfortunately for the Hungarians, West Germany avenged this defeat in the final. The Germans came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 to win the first of four World Cups. 

11 goals | Brazil vs Poland, 1938 World Cup

In the final World Cup before World War II, Brazil and Poland played out a 6-5 thriller, which finished in favour of the South American team. It was a topsy-turvy ride where the balance kept swinging either way, but an 89th minute equaliser from Ernest Wilimowski made it 4-4 and the game went into extra time. 

Leonidas, who had scored the opening goal for Brazil, scored two more in extra time. A late consolation from Wilimowski in the 118th minute (his fourth of the match) took the goal tally to 11 in 120 minutes. 

10 goals | France vs Paraguay, 1958 World Cup

The 1958 World Cup is best remembered by French fans for the heroics of Just Fontaine, who established a record for the most goals scored in a single edition of the World Cup (13 goals). This includes a hat-trick against Paraguay in the group stages, which helped his side win 7-3. 

Florencio Amarilla added two goals to his tally for the South American side. But they could not withstand the Les Bleus attacking endeavour, who scored five in the second half. 

Highest goal-scoring match at Qatar World Cup 2022

8 goals | England vs Iran, Qatar 2022

England began their quest for a second World Cup in Qatar 2022 with a 6-2 win against Iran. Bukayo Saka scored twice for the English. This is the highest goal-scoring match of World Cup 2022, followed by Spain’s 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica in one of the most one-sided matches in World Cup history. 

Cameroon also came from 3-1 deficit to pick up a point against Serbia as the match finished in a 3-3 draw. Another match that witnessed six goals was Germany’s 4-2 win against Costa Rica, where the four time FIFA World Cup champions came from 2-1 down to win the fixture.

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