FIFA intends to make significant changes to the rules for determining offside before the 2026 World Cup. This is reported by Mundo Deportivo, citing former referee Iturralde Gonzalez.
This refers to the rule known as the “Wenger Law”. Its author is Arsene Wenger, who currently holds the position of FIFA’s Director of Global Football Development. According to Wenger’s initiative, an offside will only be determined if there is a visible distance between the attacker and the defender. If the players are on the same line, even partially, for example, if the attacker’s heel coincides with the defender’s foot, then an offside will not be determined.
“The process is as follows: in late October or November, a committee of experts consisting of 23 players and 11 referees will discuss the new proposals. The most interesting thing is that this committee is headed by Wenger himself, the author of the initiative. If the idea passes this stage, it is moved to the agenda of the annual meeting on January 20, and then to the general meeting, which takes place in late February or early March. 95% of the proposals that reach this stage are usually approved,” Iturralde noted.
The new rule could be tested as early as 2026, during the World Cup. If the change is adopted, offside detection will become more flexible, promoting attacking football and reducing the possibility of technical errors, especially when using semi-automatic systems.
