USA sets a new World Cup record with their first goal against Turkey!
We’re now halfway through the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Austin Trusty’s first-half goal for the USA against Turkiye has already broken a record that’s stood since 1930.
Even though some worried the hot North American weather might slow things down with tired players, this World Cup has been anything but boring. We’ve seen tons of goals from superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane, and Lionel Messi, who have all scored braces and hat-tricks.
The action has been wild, with a record 12 own goals so far, mixing brilliant play with some crazy moments—and there are still 50 games left to go as the tournament heats up.
As one of the host countries, the USA’s opening goal in their 2-3 loss to Turkiye marked the moment when this World Cup officially became the highest-scoring one ever. Trusty’s cool finish from a tough angle put the USA ahead and helped the team top their group, setting up a Round of 32 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That goal was the 173rd of the tournament, breaking the previous record of 172 goals set at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Despite having more games this time around, it’s impressive to see the record broken with fewer matches played so far.
When you look at the big picture, this World Cup ranks as the sixth-highest scoring tournament by average goals per game, with about 3.27 goals scored every match—the highest since 1958.
The all-time highest average won’t likely be beaten anytime soon. Back in 1954, there were massive scorelines like 9-0 and 8-3, with a whopping 140 goals in just 26 games (about 5.38 goals per game). One famous match between Austria and Switzerland even ended 7-5—that’s still the record for most goals in a single World Cup game.
Back to today, with more goals—including a last-minute winner from Kaan Ayhan—the total is now 177 goals. If the goals keep coming at this pace, we could see a mind-blowing 341 goals by the end of the tournament, almost twice as many as ever before. It’s shaping up to be an unforgettable World Cup!