Set-play analysis - Home - FIFA Training Centre

Short corners: Chelsea's overloads and dynamic decision-making

Chelsea played more short corners than any other team at the Club World Cup. Here, we explore how the Blues used overloads to manipulate the defence, open decisive spaces and empower key attacking players.

Part 2

Kick-offs: Entice pressure to attack space in behind

Teams are often most vulnerable right after scoring, so effective kick-off routines can be an opportunity to catch an opponent off guard. This article centres on how teams use kick-offs with a sequence of interplay followed by a long ball.

Part 3

Defensive corners: Exploiting attacking outlets

Defending a corner with all 10 outfield players can provide a base for an effective counter-attack. In this article, we explore examples from Malcom, Vinícius Júnior and Julián Alvarez to showcase how zonal roles made them springboards for counters.

Part 4

Defensive corners: Changing the narrative

Data shows corners pose an attacking threat, so defenders prioritise keeping the opposition at bay. A bolder approach can turn corners into counter-attacking opportunities, reframing set-piece defence to exploit transitions without sacrificing structure.

Part 5

Wide free kicks: Blocking the last defender in the line

When defending set plays, modern teams mix zonal marking and blockers, but this piece explores how attackers can use blocks, focusing on isolating the last defender to create far-post space and how to defend it.

Part 6

Messi’s penalties at the FIFA World Cup 2022: Seven steps to immortality

Lionel Messi took seven penalties at the FIFA World Cup 2022, scoring six and missing one. Each told a story: about pressure, adaptation and the fine margins between triumph and despair.