These soccer World Cup facts are amazing but true.

• Games in the 1954 finals averaged over five goals per game. Austria beat Switzerland 7-5 in the quarter finals. Other games finished 9-0, 8-3, 7-0 and 7-2. In contrast, by the 90’s, the average was two goals per game.

• Everyone loves and underdog. In 1966, North Korea reached the quarter finals beating two-time winners Italy 1-0. In the quarter final, N Korea took a 3-0 lead over Portugal before losing 3-5.

• The Netherlands took the lead in the 1974 World Cup final before opponent Germany had touched the ball. Within 66 seconds of the starting whistle, they had scored from a penalty kick.

• In 1990, Ireland reached the last eight without ‘winning’ a game. Three draws saw them through the group stages. In the last 16, they drew with Romania and progressed on penalties before losing 1-0 to Italy.

• Andres Escorbar scored a suicide goal for Columbia in the 1994 World cup. He was murdered when he returned home. — Compiled by Mahendra Limbu, Class IX, School for the Deaf, Naxal, Kathmandu