World Cup by the numbers

As you get ready for Sunday's World Cup final, here are some useful and not-so-useful numbers you can impress your friends with. Just remember one rule: don't use this at parties. These statistics are accurate up to and including the semifinals.

0 — Shots on target by the Netherlands in the opening 90 minutes of their semifinal against Argentina before they lost 4-2 on penalties

0 — Yellow cards shown for diving

2 — Previous finals between Germany and Argentina. Argentina won 3-2 in 1986 and Germany 1-0 in 1990

2 — Two African countries, Nigeria and Algeria, made it to the knockout stages for the first time but failed to reach the last eight

2.69 — Average goals per match after 62 of 64 games, up from a final tally of 2.27 in South Africa four years ago but far below the record of 5.38 in Switzerland in 1954

4 — Months Luis Suarez was banned from soccer-related activities after biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini. The Uruguay forward was also handed a nine-match competitive international suspension

6 — Goals scored by leading marksman James Rodriguez of Colombia, one more than Germany's Thomas Mueller

8 — German goalscorers in the tournament, twice as many as Argentina (4)

10 — Red cards, fewer than any other World Cup since 1986 (8) and down from the record 28 shown at Germany 2006

16 — Germany striker Miroslav Klose's record for the number of goals at the World Cup set when he scored against Brazil in the semifinals to surpass their former forward Ronaldo

16 — Saves made by United States goalkeeper Tim Howard in the Round of 16 defeat against Belgium, a total unmatched since World Cup records began

17 — Germany's goal tally on the way to the final, more than twice as many as Argentina (8)

28 — Tackles Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano has made, more than any other player

57.3 — Average minutes played per match, up from 54 at the 2010 edition

69.6 — Kilometres covered by Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder in his six matches, the most of any player

167 — Goals scored up to the semifinals, already the most since the record total of 171 set at France 1998

172 — Yellow cards in 62 of 64 matches, down from a peak of 307 at Germany 2006

506 — World Cup minutes played by Algeria without scoring until they netted against Belgium in their Group H opener

53,018 — Average stadium attendance, the most since the record of 68,991 at USA 1994

$3,000,000 — U.S. dollars sent in cash by plane to Brazil to placate disgruntled Ghana players