FIFA president Gianni Infantino hints at rule changes, including Wenger offside rule, ahead of 2026 World Cup
Gianni Infantino has overseen several major rule changes in soccer, a sport traditionally resistant to altering how the game is played or officiated. With the 2026 World Cup now less than six months away, the FIFA president has again hinted at potential modifications, including a possible adjustment to the offside law long advocated by Arsène Wenger.
The year 2025 has served as a testing ground for multiple innovations across FIFA competitions, including the use of a “green card” to request VAR reviews at the U-20 World Cup and Arab Cup, referee body cameras at the FIFA Club World Cup, and the introduction of the eight-second rule for goalkeepers. Some measures were fully implemented while others were trialed, but collectively they provided valuable data ahead of the 2026 tournament.
Speaking during the inaugural World Sports Summit in Dubai, Infantino reflected on the evolution of officiating in recent years: “We introduced VAR to make football fairer, to give referees the chance to correct a mistake that millions of people, both at home and in the stadium, might have seen. We are continuously improving VAR with increasingly advanced technology to help referees make the right decision.“
With the aim of “making the game more offensive and attractive,” the FIFA president acknowledged that revisiting the offside rule could help achieve that goal. “We are considering the offside rule, which has evolved over the years and currently requires the attacker to be behind the defender, level with him. Perhaps in the future the attacker would have to be completely ahead to be considered offside,” he added.
The offside law has been a frequent source of debate in recent seasons, with former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger emerging as the leading proponent of reform. Now serving as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Wenger’s proposal has gained renewed momentum, with Infantino publicly acknowledging its growing relevance.
During the 2022 World Cup, matches regularly featured extended stoppage time to compensate for delays, a measure that later fell out of favor. Still, FIFA continues to explore solutions aimed at improving game flow. “We are also evaluating measures to prevent time-wasting. It is important for the game to flow properly, so interruptions must be minimized,” Infantino concluded.
How does Wenger’s offside rule work?
The most significant change to the offside law dates back to 1925, when the requirement was reduced to two opposing players, typically the goalkeeper and one defender, between the attacker and the goal. Since then, the rule has largely remained intact, even as VAR has shifted decision-making from the assistant referee to technology, fueling ongoing controversy.
Under the so-called Wenger Law, the two-player requirement would remain unchanged, but the interpretation would shift dramatically. An attacker would only be offside if their entire body were ahead of the second-to-last defender, meaning that any overlap would keep the player onside.
By contrast, the current rule penalizes attackers if any playable body part is ahead of the defensive line. If implemented, the new interpretation would favor fast, attacking players and challenge teams that rely on a high defensive line, while sides defending deeper would be far less affected by the change.