India, June 18 -- Remember James Rodriguez's strike against Uruguay in the 2014 World Cup, that left-foot volley on the half-turn after the Colombian cushioned the ball on his chest? Or Lionel Messi's free-kick against Nigeria wrapping his left boot around the ball so that it arced into goal also in the same edition? Or Messi scoring from range against Mexico in 2022 picking a spot from a thicket of legs in a manner that was beyond ordinary?

If you do, it is probably because of the sheer audacity of the attempts. Also, because with every World Cup since 2010, goals from outside the penalty area have been a rare thing going on rarer. As per the AI powered assistant Copilot, nearly 16% of the 145 goals scored in South Africa were from outs...