The whole game
Soccer
in 60 seconds
Everything you need to follow along. Nothing you don't.
The field
The clock
90 minutes.
No timeouts.
Clock doesn't stop.
Time lost to injuries or substitutions gets added back at the end of each half. That's called stoppage time.
How to score
Ball in the net = 1 point.
Most points wins.
Ties happen.
In the group stage, a tie gives both teams 1 point. In knockout rounds, ties go to extra time, then a penalty shootout if still level.
The cards
Yellow card
A warning. Two yellows in the same match = automatic red.
Red card
Immediate ejection. Team plays the rest of the match with 10 players. No replacement.
The offside rule
“You can't be behind the last defender when your teammate passes to you.”
It exists to stop players from camping out by the opponent's goal. VAR reviews it using freeze-frame video — that's why play stops for a few minutes after some goals.
The 2026 World Cup
48 countries.
6 weeks.
One winner.
Group stage → Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarters → Semis → Final. Lose in the knockout rounds and you go home.
Someone else confused? Send them this.