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FourFourTwo
FourFourTwo
Sport
Chris Nee

Every new FIFA rule at the 2026 World Cup: Goalkeeper timeout ban, five-second countdowns and VAR offsides – what's changed

LISBON, PORTUGAL - FEBRUARY 17: Referee Francois Letexier looks on and points to his ear during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off First Leg match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio do SL Benfica on February 17, 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images).

The World Cup is always a spearhead for innovation in football's law-making and this summer's global showpiece will have more updated rules than most.

World Cup 2026 will begin at Estadio Azteca on June 11 and end with the final at MetLife Stadium on July 19. In those matches and the 102 World Cup fixtures in between, the tournaments 1,248 players will be subject to a suite of tweaks to the Laws of the Game.

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