2026 World Cup: FIFA approves four new rules

FIFA has approved at least four changes within football matches ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The 2026 tournament will be held in the US, Canada, and Mexico, and will include 48 teams instead of the usual 32.

These tweaks are expected to make matches faster and help referees make better decisions.

Here are the four new rules:

1. Substitutions: When a player is substituted off, they must leave the field within 10 seconds. If they fail to do so, their new team-mate will be forced to wait one minute before coming on.

2. Throw-ins: A player must throw the ball back into play within five seconds. If they take too long, the other team gets the ball.

3. Medical treatment: If a player gets treated on the field, they can’t come back for one minute.

4. VAR: Second yellow cards and corner-kick decisions will be now be reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee, VAR, if there is a clear and obvious error.

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