A staggering 92 goals were scored in the group stage of Switzerland 1954. They fell in just 18 contests, rendering a remarkable ratio of 5.11 goals per game.
The tournament’s first phase included eight hat-tricks – two from Hungarian Sandor Kocsis, and one apiece from Austrians Erich Probst and Theodor Wagner, Swiss Josef Hugi, Turkish Burhan Sargun, Uruguayan Carlos Borges and West German Max Morlock. No other World Cup group stage has included more than two trebles, while the eight netted by the Swiss Alps remain a record for one edition.
Astonishingly, more goals were scored in the group stage in 1954 than in six entire World Cups. The figure was facilitated by Austria, Brazil, Hungary, Türkiye, Uruguay and West Germany netting for fun, two high-scoring play-offs, and England and Belgium drawing 4-4.
