Can World Cup Games End in a Tie?
The World Cup, a global soccer tournament, is the most popular sporting event in the world. It may have you wondering: can World Cup games end in a tie?
What Happens if the Match is Tied?
The official rules of the World Cup dictate that if a game is tied after 90 minutes of play, it will go into extra time, also known as overtime. During extra time, the game will be played in two 15-minute halves. If a team wins, the game is over. However, if the match still remains tied after these additional 30 minutes, the game will be decided by a penalty-kick shootout.
How Penalty Shootouts Work
Penalty shootouts are a best-of-five round format that’s used to settle a tie. Each team takes five penalty kicks, alternating between teams. If the match remains tied, the shootout goes into sudden death mode, meaning whatever team scores the next goal will be the winner.
What Happens if the Penalty Kick is Tied?
In rare cases, a penalty kick shootout may also end in a tie. Even though this situation is unlikely to occur, FIFA (the governing body of international soccer) has made provisions for it. If a penalty kick shootout is still drawn after five rounds, the shootout moves into sudden death mode.
Conclusion
It is possible for World Cup games to end in a tie, but this is only if the game is not won in extra-time or in a penalty kick shootout. In the unlikely event that the shootout is still drawn, a sudden death round of penalty kicks will decide the winner.
-Matches can go into extra-time if they are tied.
-If the match remains tied after extra time, a penalty kick shootout decides the winner.
-In the rare case that the shootout ends in a tie, a sudden death round of penalty kicks will decide the winner.
