OptaJoe

1 - The official X page for Stats Perform’s English football coverage, brought to you by OptaJoe. Illuminating.

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

1 - Questions about our event definitions? If you want to know what is and is not an assist, how shots on target differ from blocked shots or want to know the full range of data we collect, you can find explanations here. Information.

https://t.co/ufCnAL0UuB

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

26 - Lionel Messi 🇦🇷 has made more @FIFAWorldCup appearances than any other player (26).

In the last edition in 2022, no player had more goal involvements (10), created more open play chances (17), or made more defensive-line breaking passes (19) than the Argentinean.

Master.

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

6 days to go - Since 1966, the most goals assisted by a player at a single @FIFAWorldCup is six by Pelé for 🇧🇷 Brazil in 1970, including two in the final victory against Italy. Conductor.

#OptaWorldCupCountdown

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

🇪🇸 - Since the start of 2024-25, Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth side ranked third in the Premier League for high turnovers (635), pressed sequences (926) and direct attacks (163), while they were fourth for long passes (4,133). Principles.

https://t.co/KGj16yXO3B

[Liverpool FC @LFC]

Welcome to the Reds, Andoni 👋

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

9 - For the fourth time in Northern Ireland's history, as many as nine of the starting XI against Guinea are aged 22 or under, while it's happened for the first time since March 1895 against Scotland (also 9). Exuberance.

[OptaPlay @OptaPlay]

26 - Lionel Messi holds the all-time record for most World Cup appearances, with 26 matches played (13 goals, 8 assists). During Argentina’s victorious campaign in 2022, he scored or assisted 10 of Argentina’s 15 goals (7 goals, 3 assists).

Superstar.

[OptaPlay @OptaPlay]

2022 – Kylian Mbappé’s hat-trick against Argentina in 2022 made him only the second player in FIFA World Cup history to score three goals in a final after England’s Geoff Hurst against West Germany in 1966. Fantastique.

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

7 days to go - Since 1966, 🇩🇪 Miroslav Klose has scored the most headed goals at the @FIFAWorldCup (7).

His only hat-trick at the tournament saw him convert three headers against 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia in 2002. Kopf.

#OptaWorldCupCountdown

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

🗣️@jord_coll speaks to Opta's @michael_reid11 on what Liverpool fans can expect from Andoni Iraola🔴

🔗https://t.co/I2hxjWrYHg

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

Pick specific World Cups from the timeline in the left margin, or scroll through them all, including a look ahead to the 2026 edition.

For the optimal user experience we recommend 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐤𝐭𝐨𝐩.

https://t.co/3yEuWVsChk

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝐀𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐬

Here's something we made earlier...

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, journey through the tournament's history with our interactive World Cup Atlas, featuring key storylines, records, stats and data viz...

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

8 days to go - 🇵🇹 Cristiano Ronaldo has scored eight goals at the @FIFAWorldCup and is the only player to score at five different editions of the competition.

1 in 2006
1 in 2010
1 in 2014
4 in 2018
1 in 2022

Record. #OptaWorldCupCountdown

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

Are you best to take first?
Who has made the most saves in a shootout?
Which penalty is most likely to be missed?
Where should you aim?

We look at the facts around World Cup penalty shootouts ahead of the 2026 tournament.

https://t.co/KUZHu1dyK0

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

18 - Ghana remain winless in all 18 of their away games against European nations (D7 L11).

Heartbreaker.

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

38.2% - Marco Silva's 38.2% win percentage in the Premier League is the best of any Fulham manager, whilst he leaves having also won the most matches (58) and managed the joint-most matches for the Cottagers in the competition (152 - level with Chris Coleman).

Departure.

[Fulham Football Club @FulhamFC]

We can confirm that Marco Silva will leave his role as Head Coach at Fulham this summer.

It’s a position that Silva has held for five years – a spell which was laden with success.

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, we've picked out 26 players, all from different nations, who we're expecting big things of this summer.

Introducing the @OptaAnalyst 26 👇

https://t.co/qKipRFtn0N

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

🇹🇷 Superstar set for the world stage
🇭🇷 Teenager with a huge future
🇵🇹 Europe's best passer
🇨🇮 Winger who may get a huge move after the tournament

Who are you excited to watch at this summer's World Cup?

[OptaJoe @OptaJoe]

9 days to go - 🇺🇸 The Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas will host the most matches during the 2026 @FIFAWorldCup (9).

That includes five group stage matches & four knockout matches. Cowboys. #OptaWorldCupCountdown

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

With the help of the Opta supercomputer projections, @Matt_Furniss had a go at predicting their route to World Cup glory this summer in North America.

https://t.co/M6zZ3Y7QK7

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

England fans can dream, can't they?

If the Three Lions were to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, what would their likely route to glory look like?

Mexico at the Azteca? 🇲🇽
Brazil and Argentina in back-to-back rounds? 🇧🇷🇦🇷
A repeat of the Euro 2024 final? 🇪🇸

[Opta Analyst @OptaAnalyst]

Find the Opta supercomputer projections for all 48 teams here.

https://t.co/KEpReEkcIW