Movie dramas and shocking goals towards the end: Referee compensation is the main story of this World Cup

The period from the 76th minute to the end of the game became the most productive. The data is inexorable: almost a third of all goals, 29.2 percent to be exact, were scored in that late phase. This phenomenon is not limited to a narrow circle of young people because it is more twenty national teams scored a goal in the last quarter of the game.

One of the most obvious reasons for late goals is the significantly extended referee compensation. The three-minute stoppage time is a thing of the past. Under the guidance of Fifa’s head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, referees are tasked with making up for every lost moment with precision, from goal celebrations and substitutions to injuries and VAR checks. This philosophy, already noticeable in Katra, is now reinforced by new rules and measures aimed at discouraging procrastination.

For example, rules have been introduced such as a five-second countdown for a goal-out, where a delay can lead to a corner. Gameč who is replaced must leave the field within ten seconds, otherwise his replacement must not enter the minute. The goal of these measures is not punishment, but rather; changing the player’s behavior in order to increase the effective playing time. Longer takes, often over ten minutes, provide more time for twists and turns and drama.

According to the analysis, the average total refereeing time in World Cup matches has almost quadrupled over the past three decades. While at the 1990 World Cup, on average, about three minutes were made up, at the 2022 World Cup, that average increased to 11.2 minutes. In the 2026 World Cup matches played until July 2, on average, more than 14 minutes of stoppage time are added per match.

Only the compensation of the second half at the championships in 2022 and 2026 lasts more than seven minutes on average, while at the previous two World Cups it was between four and five minutes. Longer stoppage time increased the space for decisive moments of the finals – the leading teams have to keep the advantage longer, and the ones that are behind get more time to equalize or completely turn around.

In addition to tactical and physical reasons, some experts, including former goalkeepers, point the finger at the official championship ball, Adidas ‘Trionda’. They believe that it has an unpredictable trajectory, which makes it difficult for goalkeepers to assess the flight, especially for shots from a distance. This discussion is not new and reminds us of the controversies surrounding the ‘Jabulani’ ball at the championship in 2010, when the players and coaches also complained about its behavior in the air, which could have influenced the number of goals scored.