Overview
- FIFA and the International Football Association Board have confirmed a wide package of rule changes for the 2026 World Cup that target timewasting, player conduct and review procedures.
- The Video Assistant Referee will have expanded powers to correct wrongful yellow-red cards, review corners that directly produce goals and fix player mix-ups between teams under a push for faster, real‑time checks.
- New on-field game‑management measures require substitutes to leave the field within ten seconds, impose five‑second countdowns for certain restarts that can change possession, and force treated players off for one minute to deter deliberate delays.
- Player welfare rules include two fixed three‑minute hydration breaks per match, set roughly around the 20th and 70th minutes, to address heat and player safety across varied venues and climates.
- Germany’s federal government issued a temporary noise-exemption for public viewings but major Bavarian cities will not run official fanfests, leaving bars, beer gardens and local authorities to arrange and approve individual screenings.