World Cup knockout matches cannot end level, and the number of subscribers in world cup rules now matters because ties after 90 minutes go to 30 minutes of extra time before penalties if the score is still level. The 2026 World Cup knockout stages are underway, so teams in World Cup knockout matches have no room to settle for a draw.
Lionel Messi and 2022
The clearest example came in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, when France and Argentina were tied 2-2 after 90 minutes. Lionel Messi scored his second goal in the 108th minute, then Kylian Mbappe converted a penalty 10 minutes later.
That match still did not finish in regular time, and Randal Kolo Muani was denied a winner by Emiliano Martinez. The final showed the exact sequence knockout matches can follow: regulation, extra time, then a shootout if neither side separates itself.
Pierluigi Collina and added time
Extra time lasts 30 minutes and is split into two 15-minute halves, with teams switching sides at the midway point. Each side also gets an extra substitution for the half-hour, a small edge that can matter when legs start to fade.
Stoppage time is added to every regulation half to make up for substitutions, goal celebrations, time-wasting, injured players receiving treatment and three-minute hydration breaks. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s referee chief, tried to cut down on time-wasting by pushing officials to add more time than usual at the 2022 World Cup, which made the clock feel even longer before extra time ever started.
Penalty shootout rules
If the score is still tied after 30 minutes, the match goes to a penalty shootout. Five players from each side take five spot kicks, and if that still does not break the deadlock, the shootout becomes sudden death: one team scores, the other does not, and the winner moves on.
Group-stage matches are different because teams can share points if they are level after 90 minutes. In the knockout rounds, there is no share of points and no tie on the final sheet, which is why the path from 90 minutes to 120 minutes to penalties now sets the terms for every level match in the 2026 World Cup.
