One in five Fifa World Cup goals came from substitutes. Who benefits most?

Substitutes have scored 50 of the 266 goals in the Fifa World Cup 2026 so far. But some teams have gained far more from their benches than others on the road to the quarterfinals

When Spain’s Mikel Merino scored a winner against Portugal in the pre quarterfinal of the Fifa World Cup in the stoppage time, it was another reminder that matches in this tournament are increasingly being decided by players who started on the bench. Merino had replaced Dani Olmo in the 85th minute and found the back of the net in the first minute of injury time. The goal sent Spain to its first Fifa World Cup quarterfinal since 2010.

 

Portugal had reached the pre quarterfinals after defeating Croatia 2-1, courtesy of the decisive goal by substitute Gonçalo Ramos in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

 

Of the 266 goals scored in the first 96 matches of the Fifa World Cup 2026, up to the quarterfinal stage, 50 have come from substitute players. This share underlines how substitutes are not only replacing tired legs, but deciding matches.

 

 

Teams are allowed to name 26 players in their Fifa World Cup squads, leaving a maximum of 15 players available on the bench in each match.

 

Fifa increased the number of substitutions permitted during normal time from three in the 2018 World Cup to five in the 2022 edition. Bench strength has since become an even bigger factor.

 

Of the 192 team appearances across the first 96 matches, 145 used all five substitutions. On average, teams made 4.8 substitutions per match, showing that coaches are almost always using their full quota.

 

But not every team has relied on substitutes equally.

 

 

Belgium and Switzerland have depended far more on goals from substitutes than Argentina or France, suggesting that some teams have relied on their bench to change matches while others have continued to depend on their starting lineups.

 

 

When Switzerland takes on Argentina in the quarterfinals, it will test whether Switzerland’s effective use of its bench can upset the defending champions.