Zurich: FIFA may change the penalty shootout rules, starting with the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup. The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) is considering these changes to make the rules fairer and hopes to implement them soon.

According to Thai News Agency, FIFA has been in discussions with the International Association of Associations (IAAB), the governing body of football, regarding this potential change. The discussions focus on altering the current penalty shootout process, which currently involves two coin tosses by the referee. The first toss determines which team will shoot first, and the second decides which side of the goal to shoot from.

FIFA's proposed change is to have a single coin toss, where the winning team chooses either to shoot first or select the side of the goal, leaving the other decision to the losing team. This modification is intended to streamline the process and add a new strategic element to the penalty shootout phase.