FIFA is pushing to overhaul penalty shoot-out rules in the middle of the 2026 World Cup, aiming to scrap the current two-coin-toss system after Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat exposed what the governing body views as an unfair advantage.
The Times reports that FIFA officials have held discussions with the International FA Board (IFAB), football’s law-making body, about bringing in a change for this tournament despite it already being underway. A decision from IFAB, according to the report, will have to be made before the first knockout match on Sunday night if it is to be used throughout the tournament.
“FIFA proposes mid-tournament penalty rule change after Arsenal shoot-out defeat.”
Under the existing laws, two coin tosses take place at a penalty shoot-out: the first decides who takes the first kick, the second chooses the end. FIFA now wants to reduce that to a single coin toss, with the winner having the first choice and the loser the second. The move is believed to be intended to make shoot-outs fairer by not handing two advantages to one team.
The proposal was prompted by recent high-profile shoot-outs. France won the toss and kicked first in the 2022 World Cup final, but Argentina triumphed while taking penalties in front of the majority of fans. Arsenal, meanwhile, lost both tosses in their recent Champions League final shoot-out defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Former Arsenal chairman David Dein, who sat on FIFA and UEFA competitions committees, has long argued for change. In his book *Calling the Shots: How to Win in Football and Life*, Dein said: “The more I watched shootouts, the more I felt it was unfair on the team who have to take their kicks in front of the opposing fans.” He proposed having penalty shoot-outs taken at both ends simultaneously, with two officiating teams: “It’s not rocket science having two officiating at either end and one in the centre circle. Invariably there are 32 cameras at a major final, so the coverage will be the same. My plan is so simple I don’t understand why it’s never been done.”
Whether IFAB will approve the mid-tournament change before Sunday’s knockout round remains to be seen, but FIFA’s urgency signals that the status quo may no longer be acceptable.