What is a substitution in soccer?
A substitution in soccer involves one player being replaced by another from the bench. Teams will line up with 11 players on the pitch at the World Cup. Multiple players can be substituted at one time; if two players leave the field of play, two can enter.
There have been iconic examples of substitutions in the competition; in 2014, Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal replaced Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul in the final minute of extra time against Costa Rica. Krul engaged in mind games with his opponents in the area, dived the right way for every spot-kick, and made two saves. The Dutch subsequently progressed to the semi-finals.
The fastest goal ever scored by a substitute at the World Cup was netted by Richard Morales for Uruguay at the 2002 World Cup; he found the net just 16 seconds after coming off the bench.
How many substitutions are allowed at the World Cup?
The number of substitutions allowed at the World Cup has grown in recent tournaments.
The concept of replacing a player with another was not actually introduced until the 1970 edition, in Mexico. The first substitution was made by the Soviet Union against the hosts, as Anatoli Puzach came on for Viktor Serebryanikov at half-time.
In 1994, in the United States of America, FIFA introduced a new role, allowing injured, or even red-carded, goalkeepers to be substituted.
Between France 1998 and Brazil 2014, teams were allowed three substitutions in a game.
In 2018 in Russia, three were permitted in normal time, with one additional substitution granted in extra time, and, in 2022, five substitutions were allowed, plus one in extra time, to account for the climate in Qatar.
In 2026, in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, teams are expected to be able to make five substitutions, though that has yet to be confirmed.
When can teams make substitutions?
Teams will have three windows during normal time within which to make substitutions, not including half-time.
That means that while five players can come off the bench, a replacement could be introduced at the interval, and there could be four more players introduced in the second half within the three allowed substitution windows.
If both teams in a fixture make a substitution at the same time, each team will lose one of their windows; it will not count as one window with two separate substitutions.
Concussion substitutions were also introduced at the 2022 World Cup, allowing players to be removed from the field of play after a head injury. If a team has to exercise that option, their opposition will also receive an extra substitution, in order to maintain competitive integrity.
How many players are allowed on the bench?
After the intense heat of Qatar, it is expected that FIFA will once again allow expanded squads for the 2026 World Cup, meaning that there could be as many as 15 potential options from the bench.
That is likely to include multiple goalkeepers - squads tend to include at least three - and the rest will be outfield players who can come onto the pitch during the aforementioned substitution windows.
Most teams name preliminary squads before the tournament and will then trim it down.
Does soccer have temporary substitutions?
No.
A player cannot be withdrawn from the field of play for a short period of time, replaced by another, and then come back on later, swapping places again with his replacement.
However, the Premier League has petitioned the International Football Association Board (Ifab) to introduce temporary concussion substitutions.
A player who is believed to have experienced a concussion must be substituted and cannot go back on to the pitch but the Premier League argues permanent substitutions create a greater chance a team will run the risk of not substituting a player who requires treatment on a serious head injury.
What happens if a team uses all substitutions and a player is injured?
Unless there is a concussion involved, if a player receives an injury during a game after all five substitutions have been made, the team must play on with 10 men.
That includes a potential scenario in which a goalkeeper picks up an injury, and an outfield player may have to replace him between the sticks, putting the gloves on themselves. England captain Harry Kane has previously played in goal, doing so for Tottenham in a Europa League game against Asteras Tripolis; he immediately conceded from a free-kick.
Should there be an outfield player injured, while the other substitutions have been used, teams may choose to adapt as though the injured player has been sent off.