At the 2026 World Cup group stage, goalkeepers took 52% of goal kicks. At Qatar 2022 it was 91%. Our first fully animated film.
THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY
THE NUMBERS
52% of goal kicks taken by keepers at the 2026 men's World Cup group stage (FIFA analysis, 30 June 2026), against 91% at Qatar 2022, the whole tournament.
WHY
The defender starts the move and the keeper becomes another passing option.
THE LAW
Since 2019, a goal kick no longer has to leave the penalty area.
HOW KEEPERS LEARNED
Italia 90 averaged 2.21 goals a game, the lowest of any men's World Cup. From 1992, keepers could no longer handle a deliberate back-pass.
THE TERRACES — DISCUSSION
The argument also lives in the YouTube comments ↗.