World Cup 2026: What are the extra time and penalty shootout rules? | World Cup 2026

EXPLAINER

Several games in the 2026 World Cup have already ended in dramatic penalty shootouts.

It is the business end of the World Cup and as the games get tighter and tenser, many of them end up going to extra time or the dreaded penalty shootout.

In this explainer, we break down what extra time is, and what the rules for extra time and penalty shootouts are.

If the 90 minutes of standard gameplay fail to yield a winner in the World Cup knockout stages, extra time, or an additional period of play, is used to determine a winner.

This is a tiebreaker phase before moving on to penalties to determine the winner of the match.

Extra time lasts for a total of 30 minutes, broken into two 15-minute halves.

At half-time, the teams switch sides as they do during a 90-minute match.

When does a penalty shootout happen?

A penalty shootout – when a series of players from each side takes aim at the goal one after another – takes place if a match is still tied after the 30 minutes of extra time.

What are the rules for a penalty shootout?

A coin toss by the referee determines which goal the shootout is to be taken at. A second toss usually decides which team takes the first strike.

In the initial round, each team selects five players to take the first five strikes. Teams alternate attempts: Team A, then Team B, and so on.

Only players who were on the pitch at the final whistle of extra time can take penalties, and any eligible player can be chosen as a striker, including the goalkeeper.

If the teams remain tied after five penalties each, the shootout goes to sudden death.

Each team takes one penalty per round. As soon as one team scores while the other misses in the same pair, the shootout ends.

The goalkeeper must remain on the goal line, facing the striker, between the posts until the ball is kicked. He can move along the line laterally but may not advance in front of it.

What were some of the most famous penalty shootouts of all time?

• The 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy was the first World Cup final ever decided by a penalty shootout. Brazil won 3-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Roberto Baggio’s heartbreaking miss became a particularly notable moment from the tournament.
• In 1990, during World Cup semifinals, West Germany beat England 4-3, while Argentina knocked out the host, Italy, also by 4-3, with both matches decided on penalties.
• During the 2006 World Cup, Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties.
• In 2014, Brazil won 3-2 on penalties, defeating Chile during the World Cup round of 16.
• During the 2018 World Cup, Croatia beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties in the round of 16 before proceeding to the quarterfinals to beat Russia 4-3 on penalties.