The Unsettling Regularity of World Cup Drama The 2026 World Cup has already seen several games decided by a penalty shootout, leaving fans and players to wonder what could have been if only one more chance had presented itself.
The drama that unfolds in these high stakes situations is as much a product of the rules themselves as it is of human emotion.
Extra time, often misunderstood as a tiebreaker phase, has become an integral part of the World Cup experience. Its 30 minute duration seems almost cruel – long enough to raise hopes but short on actual playing time.