Whether long or short, throw-ins are increasingly affecting football matches. Anyone who watched the Premier League last season will be familiar with the long throw’s roaring comeback. If you thought they would be taking a back seat at the World Cup, you would be wrong.
They have not been quite as defining as they sometimes felt in England’s top flight in 2025-26, but they are very much on show in North America this summer. And short throws are also being used to good effect.
The headline figure: there have already been six goals from throw-ins at the 2026 World Cup. That is the same as the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments combined. Two at each of the first three of those, and none whatsoever at Qatar 2022.
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The Goals: From Coufal to Ayhan
The six goals have come from a range of situations, from long throws directly into the box to quick restarts that led to goals several passes later.
Czechia have been the most productive, scoring twice from throw-in situations. Ladislav Krejčí headed in from Vladimír Coufal’s long throw against South Korea. Michal Sadílek scored against South Africa to end a move that began with a long throw down the right-hand side from the halfway line.
Tunisia saw a long throw into the Sweden box initially cleared, but the ball was immediately crossed back in for Omar Rekik to head home — their only goal in a 5-1 defeat. Head coach Sabri Lamouchi will have been pleased the long-throw approach worked, though arguably less pleased about being sacked a few days later.
Three goals then arrived in a single day. Leroy Sané’s goal against Ecuador followed a throw from David Raum, ultimately leading to Florian Wirtz setting up the Galatasaray winger inside two minutes. Two more came in Türkiye’s 3-2 win over the United States: Sebastian Berhalter smashed home after Mark McKenzie’s long throw was only cleared to the edge of the box; then Türkiye won it late when a quick throw by the corner flag led to a neat move ending with Kaan Ayhan tapping in.
| Goals From Throw-Ins — World Cup 2026 | Scorer | Opponent | Throw Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krejčí (CZE) | South Korea | Coufal long throw | |
| Sadílek (CZE) | South Africa | Long throw down right | |
| Rekik (TUN) | Sweden | Long throw cleared, crossed back | |
| Sané (GER) | Ecuador | Raum throw — Wirtz assist | |
| Berhalter (USA) | Türkiye | McKenzie long throw | |
| Ayhan (TUR) | USA | Quick throw — neat move |
Historical Context: The Numbers Are Striking
Six goals from throw-ins is already the joint second-most at any World Cup on record (since 1966). The same figure was reached in 2002. The only edition to feature more was 1994 — the last time the World Cup was held in the United States — when seven goals came from throw-in situations.
Perhaps the players are inspired by playing in NFL stadiums.
| Goals From Throw-Ins by World Cup | Goals |
|---|---|
| 1994 (USA) | 7 |
| 2002 | 6 |
| 2026 (USA/CAN/MEX) — ongoing | 6 |
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2014 | 2 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
For perspective: there were zero goals from throw-ins at Qatar 2022. At this tournament, there are already six in 73 games. The shift is dramatic.
Long Throws: Volume and Efficiency
Long throws into the opposition’s penalty area — defined as throw-ins aimed into the penalty area measuring at least 20 metres before the next touch — are significantly more common at this World Cup than at most recent editions.
| Long Throws Into Opponent’s Box Per Game — World Cup History | Per Game |
|---|---|
| 2026 (so far, 73 games) | 2.4 |
| 2010 | 2.3 |
| 2022 | 1.6 |
| 2018 | 1.6 |
| 2014 | 1.3 |
There have been 177 long throws into the opposition’s box across 73 matches — an average of 2.4 per game. Compare that to just 1.6 per game in both 2022 and 2018, and 1.3 in 2014.
The production from those throws has also increased dramatically.
There have been 39 long throws from which at least one shot followed at this tournament. At Qatar 2022, there were just 12. In 2018, 19. In 2014, 10. In 2010, 25. Only 2010 comes anywhere close to the current figure.
Canada have been the most prolific users in the group stage, taking 20 long throws into the opposition’s penalty area — almost twice as many as second-placed New Zealand (12).
Czechia have been the most efficient, recording eight long throws from which at least one shot followed — at least three more than any other team.
Fewer Throws, Better Used
Here is the counterintuitive twist: teams are taking fewer throw-ins overall, but using them more effectively.
After 73 games, there have been an average of 36.8 throws per game at the 2026 World Cup. Since the turn of the century, no men’s World Cup had previously averaged fewer than 40 throw-ins per game. At the 2010 World Cup, the figure was 50.1 per game.
| Average Throw-Ins Per Game — World Cup History | Per Game |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 50.1 |
| 2022 | ~42+ |
| 2018 | ~40+ |
| 2026 (so far) | 36.8 |
Fewer throws, more goals, more long throws, more productive sequences. The throw-in is being transformed from a routine restart into a genuine tactical weapon — and the declining overall volume may partly reflect that players are simply better at keeping the ball in play.
The Five-Second Rule: New Law, Unexpected Consequences
Could a new FIFA regulation be partly responsible for the shift?
In February, FIFA announced that at the 2026 World Cup: “If the referee considers that a throw-in is taking too long or is being deliberately delayed, a five-second visual countdown will be initiated. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, the throw-in will be awarded to the opposing team.”
Implementation has been somewhat inconsistent — as tends to be the case with most new laws — but throws have already been overturned, and the broader effect on timing is measurable.
| Average Time Per Throw-In | Tournament | Seconds |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | — | 14.8 |
| 2022 | — | 15.7 |
| 2026 | — | 13.0 |
The average throw-in at this tournament takes just 13.0 seconds — significantly faster than the 14.8 seconds average in 2018 and 15.7 seconds in 2022.
The enforced urgency may be having an unexpected tactical consequence. Quicker throws catch defences before they are properly organised. Teams that would previously have used throw-ins as time-wasting opportunities are now forced to be more ambitious — treating them as attacking opportunities rather than dead time. And defenders who usually have more time to set their positions against long throws may be caught off-guard by the reduced preparation window.
Could This Continue?
There is no obvious reason why these trends should reverse as the tournament progresses.
Teams increasingly recognise throw-ins as a source of marginal gains — small advantages that accumulate over the course of a tournament. At a knockout competition, where matches can be decided by a single goal, those marginal gains matter enormously. If teams began the tournament with a throw-in strategy, they are unlikely to abandon it in the knockout rounds.
The five-second countdown will continue to reduce the time available for time-wasting and increase the frequency of urgent, ambitious restarts. That combination of tactical evolution and rule enforcement looks set to make 2026 a genuinely landmark year for the throw-in as a tactical weapon.
If the current rate holds, this World Cup will finish with more goals from throw-ins than any tournament since 1994 — and players may begin to reconsider the assumption that conceding a throw is ever the safest option.
Read More: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Netherlands vs Morocco Match Report – Morocco Stun the Netherlands on Penalties to Reach Round of 16
Also Read: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Germany vs Paraguay Match Report – Heroic Gill Leads Paraguay to Stunning Penalty Shootout Upset Over Germany
Related Article: FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32: Brazil vs Japan Match Report – Martinelli’s Stoppage-Time Stunner Seals Brazil’s 2-1 Comeback Win Over Japan
FAQs
How many goals have been scored from throw-ins at World Cup 2026?
Six — the same as the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 tournaments combined, and already the joint second-most at any World Cup on record since 1966.
Which team has used long throws most effectively at World Cup 2026?
Czechia have been most efficient, with eight long throws leading to at least one shot — more than any other team. Canada have attempted the most, taking 20 long throws into the opposition’s box during the group stage.
Are teams using more or fewer throw-ins than at previous World Cups?
Fewer — just 36.8 per game on average, the lowest figure at a men’s World Cup since the turn of the century. At the 2010 World Cup, teams averaged 50.1 throw-ins per game.
What new rule has affected throw-ins at World Cup 2026?
FIFA introduced a five-second countdown for throw-ins — if the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, possession is awarded to the opposing team. This has reduced average throw-in time from 15.7 seconds (2022) to 13.0 seconds.
When was the last time the World Cup saw more throw-in goals than 2026?
The 1994 World Cup — the last time the tournament was held in the United States — produced seven goals from throw-in situations, making it the only World Cup on record to exceed the current 2026 total.
