World Cup 2026: Why late goals are becoming more common than ever

As the clock ticked towards the final quarter hour of Switzerland’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the two teams were locked in a stalemate.

Then everything changed. Substitute Johan Manzambi came off the bench and needed only three minutes to score.

By the final whistle he had two goals, Switzerland had scored four times after the 70th minute, and Bosnia became only the third team in World Cup history to concede four or more goals from the 70th minute onwards.

It was an extreme example of a trend that has emerged across World Cup 2026.

Of the tournament’s 96 goals so far, 28 have arrived between the 76th minute and full-time. That represents 29.2% of all goals scored, making the final 15 minutes – including stoppage time – comfortably the most productive period of matches.

The next-highest scoring window has been the period immediately before half-time, with 19 goals scored between the 31st minute and the interval.

Nor is the phenomenon confined to a handful of teams. Twenty nations have already found the net during the final quarter hour and second-half stoppage time, with Switzerland’s three goals the highest tally recorded by any side in that period so far.