The 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup will still use 90 minutes of regulation time, but knockout matches can run far longer. If a game in the round of 32 through the final is tied after two 45-minute halves, it goes to 30 minutes of extra time and, if needed, a best-of-five penalty shootout.
That is why fans asking how long is a soccer game are really asking which match they mean. Group stage games can end in a draw, but once the tournament reaches the knockout rounds, there has to be a winner, and that changes the clock as well as the mood in the stadium.
In plain terms, a World Cup match starts with 90 minutes on the board, plus added time at the end of each half to make up for stoppages. If the score is level at the end of regulation, extra time begins with two 15-minute periods and a short break in between. Added time can also be played during those extra-time periods, which means the total can stretch beyond the full 120 minutes before penalties are even considered.
The penalty phase is not random, either. A coin toss decides which team kicks first, and each side takes five shots. If they are still level after that, the shootout turns to sudden death. That is the part of the answer many casual viewers miss: a match listed as 90 minutes can become a much longer night if it reaches the knockout stage and stays tied.
The old shortcut for settling a tied game was the golden goal, which was used in the 1998 World Cup in France and again in 2002 in Japan and South Korea. The International Football Association Board abolished it in 2004, and the current format gives both teams the full 30 minutes of extra time before any shootout begins.
There is still one thing no one can know in advance: the exact length of a specific match. Stoppage time, extra time and penalties all depend on what happens on the field, so a World Cup game can end at 90 minutes, push past 120, or go on until a shootout settles it. The next confirmed moment is the start of the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, and that is when the clock starts to matter in real time.
