World Cup 2022 is well and truly underway and among the goals, celebrations and controversies, there is one key factor which fans from all nations have noticed during the first few games of the tournament.
During the first four matches - Qatar v Ecuador, England v Iran, Senegal v the Netherlands and USA v Wales - there has been an incredible 64 minutes of added time. That’s an average of 16 minutes per game or eight minutes per half.
In Wales' clash against the USA on Monday night, fans from both sides could have been forgiven for wincing slightly with nerves as the fourth official held up his board with the number ‘9’ on it. Many thought it was a late substitution, but it was in fact the amount of added time to be added on.
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In England’s Group B opener against Iran earlier on Monday, there was a total of 27 added minutes after injuries to the Iran goalkeeper in the first half and England’s Harry Maguire and Harry Kane during the second period.
The change in tactic from FIFA for this World Cup has been made in a bid to stop time-wasting and to increase the amount of actual game time where the ball is in play. It means that each and every World Cup game is likely to have more stoppage time at the end of both halves than what we have seen in previous tournaments and compared to what we have become accustomed to in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Former world-class referee Pierluigi Collina is now chairman of the FIFA referees committee, and he explained the reasoning behind the new directive before the tournament got underway. He told the radio network France Info : “We want to avoid matches at 42, 43, 44 minutes from effective time. So the times of substitutions, penalties, celebrations, medical treatment or of course VAR will have to be compensated.”
The change has already resulted in records being broken at this year’s World Cup, even after two days. Davy Klassen’s goal for the Netherlands against Senegal on Monday evening came in the 99th minute, while Iran’s Mehdi Taremi scored a 103rd minute consolation goal against England earlier in the day. Both goals are now the latest to be scored at a World Cup in normal time since records began.
Get our brilliant 48-page Wales at the World Cup souvenir guide to the tournament.
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