In the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the referees awarded a total of 29 penalties -- the highest in a single edition of the tournament. The most recent World Cup in 2022 in Qatar saw 23 penalties. Before that, the 1998 France World Cup and the 2022 World Cup held in Japan and South Korea each had 18 penalties.

** Visit The Daily Star’s website to also read: ‘Messi in World Cups: The astonishing numbers’