Modern defensive structures, tactical discipline, and higher overall quality across the expanded 48-team field make matches reaching 13 total goals exceedingly rare. The longstanding record of 12 goals, set in Austria’s 7-5 victory over Switzerland in 1954, has stood through decades of lower-scoring World Cups dominated by organized pressing and compact units rather than open, end-to-end play. Early 2026 group-stage results have featured typical margins such as 4-2 and 1-0, with no indication of the defensive lapses or attacking overloads needed to threaten the mark. Traders’ strong consensus on the outcome not occurring reflects this established pattern and the limited window for outlier results even across 104 fixtures.