explainer
Several matches at the 2026 World Cup have already ended in dramatic penalty shootouts.
Published July 19, 2026
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Updated: 7 hours ago
The World Cup is the business end of the world, and with matches becoming increasingly tense, many matches will go into extra time or the dreaded penalty shootout.
In this explanation, we will explain in detail what extra time is and what the rules are for extra time and penalty shootouts.
In World Cup finals, extra time or extra game time is used to determine a winner if the standard 90-minute match fails to determine a winner.
This is the tiebreaker phase before proceeding to penalties to determine the winner of the match.
Overtime will be divided into two halves of 15 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.
At halftime, teams switch sides, just like in a 90-minute match.
When is the penalty shootout held?
If the game is still tied after 30 minutes of extra time, a penalty shootout will be held (in which players from each team try to score one goal after another).
What are the rules for penalty shootouts?
A coin toss by the referee will determine which goal will result in a shootout. The second toss usually determines which team takes the first strike.
In the first round, each team selects five players to take the first five strikes. The teams take turns trying: Team A, then Team B, and so on.
Only players who were on the pitch at the end of extra time can receive a penalty, and any eligible player, including the goalkeeper, can be selected as a striker.
If both teams remain tied after five penalties each, the penalty shootout will go to sudden death.
Each team receives one penalty per round. The shootout ends as soon as one team scores and the other team misses in the same pair.
The goalkeeper must face the striker on the goal line between the posts until the ball is kicked. You can move laterally along the line, but you cannot move forward of the line.
What is the most famous penalty shootout in history?
The 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy was the first ever World Cup final to be decided on penalties. After trailing 0-0, Brazil won 3-2 in a penalty shootout. Roberto Baggio’s heartbreaking mistake was one of the most notable moments of the tournament. In the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, West Germany defeated England 4-3, and Argentina defeated hosts Italy 4-3, with both games decided on penalties. In the 2006 World Cup, Italy defeated France 5-3 in a penalty shootout. In 2014, Brazil defeated Chile in the Round of 16 of the World Cup, winning 3-2 on penalties. At the 2018 World Cup, Croatia defeated Denmark 3-2 on penalties in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals, where they defeated Russia 4-3 on penalties.
