FIFA has responded to speculation that it may change the format of World Cup games by insisting the basic length of matches in Qatar will remain 90 minutes.

“Following reports and rumours spread today, FIFA would like to clarify that there will be no changes to the rules regarding the length of football matches for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 or any other competition,” said the governing body of world football in a terse statement.

Social media, and some more traditional news outlets such as Italian sports daily Corriere dello Sport, reported that FIFA president Gianni Infantino is considering encouraging referees to play more stoppage time, effectively extending games to 100 minutes, to make up for the amount of time the ball is not in play. – AFP, April 7, 2022.