The report says England have generated 2.9 xG from headed shots, ahead of Brazil on 2.3 xG. They have scored four goals from 22 headed attempts, giving their aerial threat both volume and end product.
That does not make a high ball into the box a guaranteed route to goal. It does, however, underline England’s ability to create dangerous second-phase situations, particularly when defenders are forced to attack the first delivery under pressure.
Headers accounted for 23.7% of World Cup goals in 2018 and 18.4% in 2022. Through the last 16 in this tournament, the figure has fallen to 17.9%, according to the report.
The efficiency figures have moved in the opposite direction. Headed attempts are reportedly converting at 11.4%, with 33.5% hitting the target. The sharpest change is in creation: header assists have risen from two across the 2018 and 2022 tournaments to 10 already in 2026.
That points to a tactical shift. Teams are increasingly using the first header to redirect the ball into a dangerous area, rather than aiming directly at goal.
Long throws and planned deliveries are helping create those opportunities. The report puts the tournament average at 2.54 long throws into the penalty area per match, compared with 1.83 in 2018.
Timing matters too. One-third of headed goals have reportedly arrived from the 76th minute onwards, including stoppage time. In Bosnia and Herzegovina versus Canada, the report cites Sead Kolašinac flicking a corner back across goal for Jovo Lukić to finish.
Norway’s challenge will be to defend both contacts, not just the initial delivery. England’s next storyline is whether their aerial efficiency can survive a knockout tie built on tighter margins.