Over the years, the offside rule in soccer has been modified several times. FIFA is set to push for yet another change to the existing offside rule in 2026, with the hope of adopting one of legendary Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger’s suggestions.
FIFA Aiming To Introduce Brand New Offside Rule
According to RMC Sport, FIFA and IFAB, the association that oversees the laws of the sport, are keen to implement the “Wenger Law” proposal. The organizations are ready to promote a rule that would penalize a star only when they are entirely ahead of the last defender.
The new offside rule proposal, championed by Wenger since 2020, will be examined at the IFAB annual meeting on Jan. 20 in London, United Kingdom. If it passes the initial stage, it will be formally debated at the IFAB General Assembly in Wales next February.
“We are studying the offside rule, which has evolved over the years and currently requires the attacker to be behind the defender, level with him. In the future, the attacker may have to be completely in front of the defender to be considered offside,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, earlier this week.
FIFA is reportedly keen to enact the new rule change as early as the 2026-27 campaign.
FIFA President Defends 2026 World Cup Ticket Prices
Earlier this month, FIFA confirmed that the cheapest 2026 World Cup final ticket would cost $4,185, as per ESPN. Soon after the organization’s announcement, several fan groups protested against the comparatively exorbitant prices, leading to an uproar on social media.
Addressing concerns at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino asserted that revenues from next year’s quadrennial tournament will be reinvested in soccer around the world.
“In the last few days, you’ve probably seen there is a lot of debate about ticketing and ticket prices. We have six, seven million tickets on sale and we started two weeks ago. I can tell you in two weeks, 15 days, we received 150 million ticket requests. This shows how powerful the World Cup is,” Infantino said.
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Infantino concluded, “And what is important, what is crucial, is that the revenues that are generated from this are going back to the game all over the world, and FIFA is the only organisation in the world that finances football in the entire world. Without FIFA, there will be no football in 150 countries in the world.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature 48 teams instead of 32, is set to take place in the host nations of the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19 next year.
