
2026 World Cup Sees Surprisingly Low Stoppage Time as FIFA Wages War on Time-Wasting
FIFA is implementing new rules at the 2026 World Cup to combat time-wasting, resulting in significantly lower stoppage time compared to previous tournaments. Despite a war on time-wasting, the average ball-in-play time has seen a slight reduction, though the percentage of match time with the ball in play is at its highest.

