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29 terms · for the casual fan
The words of the 2026 World Cup and of football, explained simply. Search a term or browse them by family.
29 terms
The first round. In 2026 the 48 teams are split into 12 groups of 4, and within each group everyone plays everyone once. It decides who advances to the knockouts.
The second part of the tournament, single-game rounds: lose and you are out. It starts at the Round of 32 and ends with the final.
The first knockout round of the 2026 World Cup, with 32 teams (16 games). It is new: it appears because the tournament grew to 48 teams.
Knockout round with 16 teams (8 games). Winners go through to the quarter-finals.
Knockout round with 8 teams (4 games). Winners advance to the semi-finals.
The two ties between the last 4 teams. The winners play the final; the losers play the third-place match.
The last match. The winner is world champion. In 2026 it is played at MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey).
Finishing third in your group does not always mean elimination: in 2026 the 8 best third-placed teams (out of 12) also reach the Round of 32. They are ranked by comparing points, goal difference and goals scored among all the third-placed sides.
The goals you score minus the goals scored against you. When two teams are level on points, it usually decides who finishes higher in the table.
The rules that rank two or more teams tied on points in a group. They are checked in order: first goal difference, then goals scored, and then further FIFA criteria.
A last-chance match or mini-tournament to qualify for the World Cup. It is played BEFORE the tournament, during qualifying, not in the finals. For 2026 there is also an intercontinental play-off to hand out the final spots.
One of the top teams by ranking, placed in the draw so it does not meet other strong sides in the group stage.
Extra playing time used only in the knockouts when a match ends level: two 15-minute halves. If it is still level, it goes to penalties.
The final tie-breaker if the match is still level after extra time. Each team takes penalties in turns (five each to start) and whoever scores more wins.
Minutes the referee adds at the end of each half to make up for time lost to injuries, substitutions or time-wasting. The half is not over until they are played.
An official who reviews plays on video to help the on-field referee in four situations: goals, penalties, straight red cards and mistaken identity. It only steps in for a clear error.
The play that starts each half (and restarts after a goal), taken from the centre of the pitch.
A HISTORICAL rule, now ABOLISHED: the first goal in extra time ended the match instantly (“sudden death”). It was used at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. It no longer applies: extra time is now played in full.
A HISTORICAL rule, now ABOLISHED: if a team was ahead at the end of the first half of extra time, it won without playing the second. It existed only briefly (2003-2004) and never decided a World Cup. It no longer applies.
An attacker is offside if, at the moment a team-mate passes the ball, they are nearer the opponents' goal than both the ball and the second-to-last defender. If they get involved from there, the play is disallowed.
A direct free shot from 11 metres, one-on-one against the goalkeeper, awarded when a defender commits a punishable foul inside their own penalty area.
The set-piece awarded to the team that was fouled. It can be direct (you can score straight away) or indirect (another player must touch the ball before a goal counts).
A kick from the corner of the pitch given to the attacking team when the ball goes out over the goal line after last touching a defender.
When the same player scores three goals in a single match.
A goal a player puts, by accident, into their own net. It counts for the opposing team.
An official warning from the referee for a foul or unsporting behaviour. Two yellows in the same match equal a red: the player is sent off.
The sending-off. The player leaves the pitch and the team plays a man down, as they cannot be replaced. It comes from a serious foul or from two yellow cards.
An offence against an opponent (an illegal tackle, a push, a handball…). The referee punishes it with a free kick or, if inside the box, a penalty.
If a player picks up several yellow cards across the tournament (in different matches), they miss the next game through suspension, even without being sent off.