Analysis of the frequency of goals scored in the 2023 Women's Soccer World Cup

Introduction: Women's Soccer has become a new sports phenomenon. This fact has led to a growing interest in its study within the scientific community. However, research that can generate a consolidated body of knowledge is still scarce. Objective: To analyze the frequency of goals scored in the 2023 Women's World Cup. Methodology: Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the frequency of goals scored by teams based on game time, in 15-minute and 5-minute intervals. Results: The goals scored during regular time were very similar, slightly higher in the first half. Based on the 15-minute intervals, two periods with the most goals were identified (first half= 16-30 min and second half= 61-75 min). According to the 5-minute intervals, five high-scoring periods were identified (first half = 11-15 min, 26-30 min, and +45 / second half = 61-70 min and 85- +90 min). Furthermore, the first goal appeared very early in the match. Discussion: Historically, soccer has been characterized by a higher number of goals in the second half, which was not observed in the 2023 Women's World Cup, and the periods with the most goals varied depending on the analyzed tournaments. Conclusions: There is a need to study the goal pattern in more detail. Additionally, the first goal in Women's Soccer tends to be scored in the early minutes of the match.