How Often Do Both Teams Score In World Cup Matches?

One of the most common ways of betting on football can be found in the Both Teams To Score (BTTS) market.

This will certainly be the case when the 2026 World Cup gets underway later this year.

Both teams to score bets are exactly what they sound like, a wager on both teams scoring at least one goal in a match of football.

One of the reasons behind this particular bet type’s popularity is that very often they can provide bettors with much greater value than certain other markets.

They are also very commonly used by punters to bulk out a bet builder.

On occasions, these bets can also provide a very popular alternative option to betting on the result of the game in question.

So, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup not far off, we thought now would a good time to look into how often in past world cups both teams participating scored in 90 minutes, not including extra time.

World Cup Matches Where Both Teams Scored

Both Teams Don’t Always Score

The FIFA World Cup is by far and away the biggest international football tournament for betting on and the 2022 tournament will get underway, not in the summer as is usually the case, but on the 21^st of November running all the way through to December the 18^th.

In the UK, each and every fixture will be broadcast live on domestic televisions channels on the BBC and ITV, with as many as four live matches free to watch per day.

When looking into a what might be a good match for a BTTS bet, it is a good idea to consider the quality of the competing teams.

Obviously, we will know more when the draw has been made which is scheduled to take place in late 2025.

As ever with the World Cup, there will be some smaller nations that will be drawn into a group with one of the big boy teams.

As hosts, Mexico, USA and Canada, will receive automatic qualification to the upcoming tournament, which this time is made up of 48 teams that will be drawn in to sixteen groups of three.

In each of this groups, there will be one of the favourite nations and there will be plenty of miss matches which could end up being very one sided.

Inevitably, there will be a group of death where good teams will be drawn against each other possibly providing a good opportunity for a Both Teams To Score bet.

At the last World Cup in 2022, just under half of the matches played recorded a BTTS result.

Since the World Cup was stretched to 32 participants for the 1998 renewal in France, the lowest tournament for BTTS results was 2006 World Cup in Germany where just 22 of the 64 games played saw both teams scoring.

Since 1998, there has been an average of 48.0% of games in which both teams have scored.  On average in around 6 in 10 games one or both teams will keep a clean sheet.

FIFA World Cup Finals Where Both Teams Scored

*Not a final match, but the decisive match of the tournament

Only six of all of the 23 World Cup finals that have taken place have returned a single team scoring or no goals at all.

What’s more these are all from no earlier than the 1990 tournament that was held in Italy.

In Russia in 2018, the final recorded a 4-2 win for France as they beat Croatia.  In Qatar in 2022 the full time score was 2-2 and then 3-3 after extra time.  Argentina won on penalties.

Highest Scoring BTTS Games At The World Cup

The biggest ever scoring game in a FIFA World Cup occurred in 1954 which was a record breaking tournament for goals.

The whopping 7-5 score line was recorded by neighbouring nations Switzerland, who were the tournament hosts that year, and Austria who were the winners on the day.

This occasion is the only time that 12 goals have been recorded in a match at the World Cup.

On two occasions, both involving Hungary and both in games they won, has there been an 11 goal in which both teams have scored.