The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Morocco 2026 ended its group stage with 157 goals in 36 matches. FIFA's report published on 26 October confirmed a new record for this stage: 27 more goals than the 130 scored in 2025, an increase of 20.8%. The average rose from 3.61 to 4.36 goals per game.
How is the average of 4.36 goals per match calculated?
The calculation covers only group-stage matches, which concluded on 25 October. In 2026, 24 national teams competed in six groups of four. Each group featured six matches, making 36 in total. Thus, 157 ÷ 36 = 4.3611..., rounded to 4.36 goals per match.
The 2025 comparison uses the same denominator. That was the first edition expanded to 24 teams, also arranged in six groups of four, meaning 36 matches at this stage.
| Edition | Group-stage goals | Matches | Goals per match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco 2025 | 130 | 36 | 3.61 |
| Morocco 2026 | 157 | 36 | 4.36 |
By how much was the previous record beaten?
The difference is 27 goals, calculated as 157 minus 130. Dividing that increase by the 130 goals in 2025 and multiplying by 100 produces 20.8% after rounding. With the match count unchanged, the rise in the average was exactly 0.75 goals per match (27 ÷ 36). This measures the group stage's combined scoring, not any individual player's performance.
Can one high-scoring match explain the record?
The United States' 17-0 win over Samoa was an exceptional result highlighted by FIFA. Those 17 goals accounted for approximately 10.8% of the 157-goal total. Excluding only that match leaves 140 goals across the other 35 games, an average of 4.00. This illustrates the result's impact, but it is not a direct comparison with a complete edition because the sample size changes.
Is the group-stage record also the whole-tournament record?
No. According to FIFA, the highest total for an entire edition was 175 goals, recorded in 2025. At the end of the 2026 group stage, another 18 goals were needed to equal that mark and 19 to surpass it. As of 26 October, the knockout rounds had yet to begin. The confirmed record is therefore for group-stage goals, not the full tournament or an individual scoring achievement.
