The 2026 FIFA World Cup will not only be the largest in history, but it will also introduce several rule changes designed to speed up matches and fix officiating errors on the fly.
The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19, and games will take place across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, marking the first time three nations have hosted the men’s event.
It will feature 48 teams, also in a new development, with 104 games scheduled to be played over 39 days. Argentina enters the World Cup as the defending champion after beating France in Qatar 2022.
Ahead of the tournament, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) has approved three major updates that will be applied from July 1 globally and from the start of the World Cup in particular.
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First, video assistant referee (VAR) will be expanded to cover more plays. VAR will be able to intervene if a player is wrongly sent off for a second yellow card by the main referee on the pitch, if the referee books or dismisses the wrong player (mistaken identity) and when a corner kick has been clearly awarded in error.
The goal is to fix obvious mistakes without opening up reviews for every minor incident. For example, if a defender receives a second yellow for minimal contact and replays show it was clearly wrong, VAR can now correct it.
When it comes to correctly awarding corners, VAR was deemed necessary in such a high-stakes tournament as the World Cup, in which such plays could be game-changing.
Second, IFAB introduced countdowns to reduce time-wasting. Referees can begin a visible five-second countdown for delayed throw-ins and goal kicks. If the restart is not taken in time, possession switches to the opponent, with slow goal kicks potentially becoming corner kicks for the opposition.
Substituted players, meanwhile, will be forced to leave the field within 10 seconds. If they fail to do so, their replacement must wait at least one minute and until the next stoppage before entering. Injured players who stop play and need attention on the sidelines must also remain off for one minute once play resumes.
Third, the rule around denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (DOGSO) has been broadened. A defender can now be sent off if the fouled attacker is through on goal, and also if a clear passing option to a teammate would likely have led to a scoring chance.
The 2026 World Cup will kick off on June 11, with a matchup between Mexico and South Africa.