Friday's global fixture list belonged to the warm-up acts. Across 41 club friendlies, teams found the net 128 times, averaging 3.1 goals per match and turning preparation games into goal fests that left competitive football in the shade.
The contrast was stark. While friendlies crackled with attacking intent, the day's competitive fixtures struggled to keep pace. Brasileirão Serie B offered the highest ratio among league games, 10 goals across three matches for 3.3 per game, but the sample size told its own story.
Competitive caution
Elsewhere, the goals dried up. The NWSL and Poland's Ekstraklasa both produced just two goals per game from their three and two fixtures respectively. Denmark's Superliga managed 2.5 from two matches, while Brazil's top flight Serie A limped to 1.5 goals per game.
The numbers reflect football's oldest truth: when points are on the line, defences tighten and managers calculate. Friendlies, unburdened by consequence, allow attacking experiments and half-time personnel carousels that keep goals flowing. Friday's haul suggests squads are finding their rhythm ahead of campaigns that will demand far more caution.
For neutral entertainment, though, the choice was clear. Pre-season delivered the spectacle competitive football couldn't match.