As with every major tournament, FIFA has published several detailed analyses on the U17 World Cup, recently won by Portugal. Among them, one phenomenon stands out: long throw-ins taken directly into the penalty area have become a widespread attacking tactic. In the first 48 matches of the competition, 19% of throw-ins taken in the final third were from the penalty area, more than three times the rate in 2023 (6%). Of the 48 participating teams, 37 used this strategy to create danger in the opposition's penalty area. Aron Winter, a member of the FIFA Technical Study Group, observed that "many teams had worked on attacking throw-ins during their preparation, both tactically and technically. The distances achieved are incredible for players of this age." While Qatar was the only team to play 100% of its throw-ins this way, Mexico took eleven throw-ins in its first two matches (50%), generating two scoring opportunities less than 7.5 seconds after the restart. This development confirms that the long throw-in is now a fully-fledged attacking weapon, comparable to corners or free kicks, requiring specific preparation from both the defense and the goalkeeper.
In the first 48 matches of the competition, 19% of throw-ins taken in the final third were from the penalty area / © Icon Sport