Stoppage time — also called injury time or added time — is the additional minutes played at the end of each half to account for time that was lost during the 45 minutes. The fourth official holds up a board showing the minimum number of added minutes. In practice, it often goes longer.
Why It Exists
A soccer match is 90 minutes but the clock never stops. When play pauses for an injury, a substitution, a goal celebration, a VAR review, or a player wasting time, those seconds and minutes accumulate. The referee keeps track of lost time and adds it on at the end of each half. The specific amount is at the referee's discretion.
How Long Can It Go?
Stoppage time used to be 3-5 minutes at the end of most halves. Following a directive from FIFA and IFAB after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, referees began adding significantly more time — accounting for goal celebrations, VAR checks, and any other pauses. At Qatar 2022, stoppage times of 8, 10, or even 14 minutes became common. Expect the same at WC26.
The Drama Factor
More stoppage time means more drama. Some of soccer's most memorable moments have come in the dying minutes of added time — last-gasp equalizers, winners that send teams through or crash them out of tournaments. For neutral fans, extra stoppage time is almost always worth watching.
WC26 will continue the FIFA directive requiring referees to add significant time for any delay. Expect 8-12 minutes of stoppage time at the end of second halves, especially in tight group stage matches where time-wasting is common. This is a significant change for fans accustomed to 3-4 minutes of added time.
