Jurgen Klinsmann says the team’s tendency to defend deep has led to forwards taking shots from outside the penalty area.
Published July 19, 2026
According to FIFA, the percentage of goals scored from outside the box at the North American World Cup has doubled compared to the previous tournament in Qatar.
16 per cent of goals scored at this World Cup came from outside the penalty area, compared to 8 per cent in 2022, the FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) revealed on Saturday.
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Soccer experts explained the reason behind this increase as teams tending to defend with low blocks and try their luck against opponents from long range.
FIFA’s TSG member Jurgen Klinsmann said having more players in and around the box makes it more difficult for goalkeepers to track the ball from a distance.
“There’s no space, eight or nine players inside or outside the box, so it’s definitely a recipe for shots from the outside,” the former U.S. national team coach told reporters.
“It’s fun for us coaches to see that…We saw some beautiful goals that way.”
FIFA Head of Soccer Development Arsene Wenger also praised the quality of the shot.
“The ball looked fast. The shot was a real rocket from outside the box. The ball was bang, the quality of the shot was great in this competition,” he told reporters.
Argentina, in particular, relied on long shots to break down the sides even though they were at a disadvantage.
The team has scored five goals from outside the box, including Enzo Fernandes’ screamer that got them back into the game in the 85th minute of the semi-final against England.
Julian Alvarez also sealed Argentina’s place in the semi-finals with a stunning curler from 22 yards out against Switzerland in extra time.
In Saturday’s third-place match, England midfielder Declan Rice scored from outside the box in the bottom corner in the third minute, resulting in France losing 6-4, making it one of the roughest matches of the World Cup.
