What is the record for most goalless draws at a World Cup?

While the World Cup undoubtedly throws up marvellous games each time the tournament rolls around every four years, there will always be the odd stinker here and there that brings us back down to Earth.

Stalemates get the better of every team over the years. Whether it be poor quality, a lack of rhythm throughout or fans boing their own team - so says Wayne Rooney, anyway - we can't always be saved from a boring stalemate on the biggest stage.

With a few worrying blanks in front of goal already in 2022, here's the competition's relationship with goalless draws.

Most goalless draws at a World Cup

The record for most goalless draws at a World Cup is shared by four different iterations of the tournament; 1982, 2006, 2010 and 2014. Each competition had seven goalless draws apiece.

Early editions of the World Cup did not cater to those who wanted cagey matches instead of goal-filled spectacles. There were no goalless ties in 1930, 1934, 1938, 1950 or 1954 respectively, but two United Kingdom nations ensured there were two to three hours of boredom at the 1958 event. Wales, in their first World Cup appearance, held eventual finalists Sweden, while England tied with Brazil.

Goalless spectacles began to grow by volume before 1982 rolled around. England's campaign came to an end in the second group stage courtesy of two goalless draws, though the semi finals and final thankfully served up plenty of entertainment.

It wouldn't be until 2006 where we'd see the same level of inefficiency in front of goal, with the likes of Argentina, France and the Netherlands all drawing blanks. England and Switzerland would be knocked out on penalties after goalless draws in the knockout stages.

While the 2010 and 2014 still delivered drama for the masses, they also racked up blanks galore with another seen apiece.

Goalless draws by World Cup tournament

Despite there being over 70 goalless draws in World Cup history, each tournament has still averaged more than two goals a game. The highest average came in 1954, where 140 goals were scored in 26 games at 5.38 a game.

The most frugal World Cup was the 1990 tournament, where 115 goals were scored at just 2.21 goals a game.

• 1930 - 0
• 1934 - 0
• 1938 - 0
• 1950 - 0
• 1954 - 0
• 1958 - 2 (Sweden vs Wales, Brazil vs England)
• 1962 - 2 (Brazil vs Czechoslovakia, Hungary vs Argentina)
• 1966 - 3 (England vs Uruguay, Mexico vs Uruguay, Argentina vs West Germany)
• 1970 - 3 (Mexico vs Soviet Union, Uruguay vs Italy, Israel vs Italy)
• 1974 - 5 (Australia vs Chile, Brazil vs Yugoslavia, Scotland vs Brazil, Sweden vs Bulgaria, Netherlands vs Sweden)
• 1978 - 6 (West Germany vs Poland, West Germany vs Tunisia, Brazil vs Spain, Netherlands vs Peru, Italy vs West Germany, Argentina vs Brazil)
• 1982 - 7 (Italy vs Poland, Peru vs Cameroon, Poland vs Cameroon, Yugoslavia vs Northern Ireland, Soviet Union vs Poland, West Germany vs England, Spain vs England)
• 1986 - 4 (Scotland vs Uruguay, Morocco vs Poland, England vs Morocco, West Germany vs Mexico)
• 1990 - 5 (Uruguay vs Spain, England vs Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland vs Egypt, the Republic of Ireland vs Romania, Argentina vs Yugoslavia)
• 1994 - 3 (South Korea vs Bolivia, Republic of Ireland vs Norway, Brazil vs Italy)
• 1998 - 4 (Paraguay vs Bulgaria, Spain vs Paraguay, Netherlands vs Belgium, Italy vs France)
• 2002 - 3 (France vs Uruguay, Nigeria vs England, Spain vs South Korea)
• 2006 - 7 (Trinidad & Tobago vs Sweden, Netherlands vs Argentina, Mexico vs Angola, Japan vs Croatia, France vs Switzerland, Switzerland vs Ukraine, England vs Portugal)
• 2010 - 7 (Uruguay vs France, England vs Algeria, Paraguay vs New Zealand, Ivory Coast vs Portugal, Portugal vs Brazil, Switzerland vs Honduras, Paraguay vs Japan)
• 2014 - 7 (Brazil vs Mexico, Japan vs Greece, Costa Rica vs England, Ecuador vs France, Iran vs Nigeria, Netherlands vs Costa Rica, Netherlands vs Argentina)
• 2018 - 1 (Denmark vs France)
• 2022 - 5* (Mexico vs Poland, Denmark vs Tunisia, Morocco vs Croatia, Uruguay vs South Korea, England vs USA)

*Goalless draws at the 2022 World Cup so far.