2026 World Cup extra time rules in group stage, explained

Now that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is upon us, it is time to brush up on the rules.

Today, our focus is on extra time, specifically during the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

What is the group stage of the World Cup?

This year, there are 48 nations participating in the World Cup, an increase from the 32 nations that participated in the 2022 World Cup.

The World Cup begins with the group stage. The 48 nations are divided into 12 groups, Group A through Group L. During the group stage, each team plays the other three in its group, to determine the 32 nations that will advance to the knockout stage.

Is there extra time during the group stage?

In a word, no!

Matches during the group stage can end in a draw, or tie. Teams will receive one point in the group standings for a draw, and three points for a win. Teams do not receive any points for a loss.

The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-place teams, will comprise the round of 32.

So following the expiration of time during a group stage match, if the score is tied, the match ends in a draw, and both teams will receive one point in the standings.

What is the time added at the end of each half?

This gets us to the difference between extra time — which will be featured starting with the round of 32 and all subsequent “knockout” rounds — and stoppage time.

At the end of each half, the referee will add “stoppage time,” to cover delays that occurred during the half itself, such as injuries, substitutions, or other short delays. When such a delay occurs, the head referee keeps track of how long the delay lasts, and when the half nears the 45-minute mark (near the end of the first half) or the 90-minute mark (near the end of the match) the head referee will led the side official know how much stoppage time there will be, and the side official puts that number of minutes on the digital board, like you see here:

This is a photo from the 2022 FIFA World Cup, indicating nine minutes of stoppage time. We used this photo because stoppage time was a talking point four years ago. Following analysis that fans during the 2018 FIFA World Cup witnessed between 52 and 58 minutes of actual playing time, FIFA made a point of increasing the stoppage time during the 2022 edition.

“The purpose is to offer more show to those watching the World Cup,” FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina said in Qatar ahead of the 2022 tournament.

As a result, matches during the 2022 World Cup saw a significant increase in stoppage time. A group stage match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia saw almost 14 minutes added in the second half, and a match between England and Iran went into the 15th minute of stoppage time in the first half and 14 minutes in the second.

But again, this is different from extra time. So, hypothetically, a group stage match that is tied 1-1 near the end of 90 minutes could see 15 minutes added for stoppage time, and if the match is still tied at the end of stoppage time, that group stage match will end in a draw.

Once we reach the knockout stage, starting with the round of 32, is when you will see extra time.