It is said that numbers don’t tell the entire story. It is, however, common knowledge that they do lead us somewhere. For example the story of Oscar, the Brazilian playmaker, making 30 tackles and winning 11 of them in this World Cup, the most by any player, tells you a bit about Brazil’s defensive woes.
OverallTotal goals: 171 (2010: 145)Goals per match: 2.7 (2010: 2.3)Hat-tricks: 2 (Thomas Muller (Ger) and Xherdan Shaqiri (Sui) (2010: 1)
Average passes per team: 396 (2010: 353)TeamMost wins: Germany: 6Most goals: Germany 18 (15 open play, 3 set-piece)
Most attacks: Brazil 111 attempts (11 goals, 28 blocked, 33 saved, 39 off target)
Best passing: Germany 4157 (1017 short, 2763 medium, 377 long, completion rate 82%)
Best defending: USA 67 attempts (27 saves, 21 tackles won, 19 blocks)
Most goals in a single match: Brazil vs. Germany: 8
Most attempts in a single match: Belgium vs. USA: 52
Most passes in a single match: Germany vs. Argentina: 1501
Most fouls in a single match: Costa Rica vs. Greece: 5 yellows, 1 red (after 2 yellows )
IndividualTop scorer: James Rodriguez (Col): 17 shots, 6 goals
Most man-of-the-match awards: Lionel Messi (Arg): 4
Most passes completed: Phillipp Lahm (Ger): 562, Completion rate: 86.3 %
Most distance covered: Muller: 83.957 kmMost distance covered when in possession: Lahm: 34.6km
Most distance covered when not in possession: Javier Mascherano (Arg): 30.7km
Top speed: Junior Diaz (Crc): 33.8 km/hMost assists: Juan Cuadrado (Col): 4Most saves: Tim Howard (USA): 27Most clean-sheets: Jasper Cillessen (Hol), Manuel Neuer (Ger), Sergio Romero (Arg): 4
Most attempts on goal: Karim Benzema (Fra): 32 (25 on target, 7 off target)
Most attempts from inside the penalty area: Benzema: 25
Most attempts from outside the penalty area: Angel Di Maria (Arg): 16
Most solo runs into the penalty area: Arjen Robben (Hol): 19
Most deliveries in the penalty area: Messi: 26
Most crosses: Di Maria: 49Most off sides: Robin van Persie (Hol): 12Most tackles: Oscar (Bra): 30Most tackles won: Oscar: 11Most tackles suffered: Neymar (Bra): 35Most blocks: Daniel van Buyten (Bel): 8Most recovered balls: Stefan de Vrij (Hol): 58
Most lost balls: Muller: 72Most yellow cards: Thiago Silva (Bra): 3Most fouls: Marouane Fellaini (Bel): 19Most fouls suffered: Robben: 28Extras8 - Number of matches that have gone into extra-time at this World Cup, a joint-record along with 1990.
18 - Number of goals scored by Germany in this tournament, the most for a team in one World Cup since Brazil in 2002.
46 - Number of dribbles by Messi. Only Maradona (53, 1986) and Jairzinho (47, 1970) have completed more in one World Cup.
171 - Joint-highest number of goals in World Cup history (level on 171 with France 1998).
4396 - Number of days between Miroslav Klose’s two World Cup final appearances, 21 days longer than Pele between (1958-1970).
* * ** Mario Gotze is the first player to score a winning goal as a substitute in a World Cup final. He, at 22y 39d, is also the youngest scorer in a final since Wolfgang Weber in 1966 (22 years, 33 days).
* All three teams with four titles won their fourth 24 years after their third. Brazil (1970 & 1994), Italy (1982 & 2006), Germany (1990 & 2014).
Compiled by N. Sudarshan
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