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The 2026 World Cup with new rules and record attendance, what changes in the historic tournament

Politiko 2026-06-06 19:55:44

The 2026 World Cup with new rules and record attendance, what changes in the

The 2026 World Cup is approaching and will kick off on June 11, running until July 19 in a historic edition that for the first time is being organized in three countries simultaneously: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The tournament will be spread across 16 host cities, with a total of 60 matches to be played. The final stages, including the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, will be held in the United States, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.

But most attention is focused on the new rule changes approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which are expected to be applied for the first time at this World Cup.

One of the biggest changes concerns on-field communication: players will no longer be allowed to cover their mouths while talking during a match. Violations of this rule can be punished with a red card, with the aim of increasing transparency and preventing suspicious communications.

Important changes also affect the VAR system, which will have broader powers in reviewing episodes, including wrongly awarded corner kicks, situations before goals or penalties, and wrong red cards after two yellow cards.

Other innovations include stricter rules on substitutions, where players must leave the field quickly, as well as measures against delays during throw-ins and corner kicks.

Also, injured players receiving treatment on the field will have to come out for a short period, except in special cases, while protesting behavior towards referees could be punished more severely than before.

In terms of organization, due to the high temperatures in the host countries, the matches will also have short refreshment breaks.

The 2026 tournament will also be the first with 48 participating nations, divided into 12 groups, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams advancing to the knockout stage.

The 2026 World Cup is also expected to bring expanded use of technology and artificial intelligence, from a semi-automatic offside system to tactical analysis and referee body cameras.

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