Korea DPR v Spain: The final in stats

Late winners, extra-time records and hat-trick hunting Spain feature as FIFA looks at the U-17 Women’s World Cup final through a statistical lens.

FIFA
Korea DPR and Spain face off in the U-17 Women’s World Cup final on Sunday
Showdowns have more often than not been decided after regulation time
Read on for all the best stats from previous finals and the upcoming decider.

The highest attendance ever recorded at a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup™ final came in 2014, when some 29,814 people packed into Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica to watch Japan defeat Spain 2-0 and clinch their first title.

Korea DPR hold the record for the latest goal scored in the U-17 decider. It clinched the inaugural edition, as Jang Hyon-sun broke through USA’s defence to slot home a 113th-minute winner.

Four of the seven finals so far have been decided by either extra time or penalties, accounting for 57.1 per cent of showdowns. That is the highest proportion of finals decided beyond regulation time of any 11-a-side FIFA World Cup.

The final against Spain will be Korea DPR’s 37th game at the tournament. Only Japan on 38 have played more.

In total, 17 goals have been scored across the seven deciders. Six of those came in the 2010 showpiece, as Korea Republic and Japan drew 3-3 before the Taeguk Warriors prevailed on penalties.

This will be the 12th AFC-UEFA battle in a FIFA World Cup final. At this event, France and Korea DPR faced off in 2012 before Japan and Spain came to blows two years later. Elsewhere, there have been four meetings in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™, three in the FIFA U-20 World Cup™, and one apiece at the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™. UEFA have come out on top seven times, while AFC nations have won four.

This will be a fourth U-17 final for Korea DPR and Spain respectively. The AFC powerhouses won the maiden title in 2008 against USA and defeated Japan on penalties in 2016, but fell to France on spot-kicks in 2012. Spain, for their part, lost 2-0 to Japan in 2014, but beat Mexico 2-1 four years later, and edged out Colombia 1-0 in 2022.

When Spain defeated Colombia two years ago, they became the first side to ever lift this trophy in back-to-back tournaments. Now, they are aiming to become the first side ever – male or female – to lift three consecutive 11-a-side FIFA World Cups.

Just two sides have come from behind to win the final. Korea DPR found themselves a goal down after just two minutes of the maiden showpiece when goalkeeper Hong Myong-hui fumbled a long throw-in, but they recovered to win in extra time. Korea Republic came from behind twice in their topsy-turvy decider with Japan in 2010 before winning on penalties.

The very first goal scored in the showpiece was that own goal by Hong Myong-hui. The most recent final strike also came at the wrong end, as the ball cruelly bounced in after striking Colombia’s Ana Maria Guzman late on to gift Spain victory in 2022.