Ex-referees praise 2026 World Cup rules for Portugal Former referees Pedro Henriques and Paulo Pereira believe that the rule changes in the 2026 World Cup had a positive impact on reducing time-wasting. They advocate for the adoption of these measures in Portuguese football. Portugal suffered a 0-1 defeat against Spain (2026-07-06) and will face Wales at home in the next match (2026-09-24). ## What changed in the 2026 World Cup? The new rules include tighter time limits for ball repossessions, faster substitutions, and temporary off-field stays for assisted players. New technological intervention possibilities were also introduced. ## Why does this matter for Portugal? Pedro Henriques highlighted that these measures increased the effective playing time, with an average of 58 minutes and eight seconds up to the quarter-finals. This is above the 56:43 of the last Champions League and the 53:47 of the Portuguese championship. Paulo Pereira classified the fight against time-wasting as "one of the great victories of this World Cup". He believes these rules should be quickly implemented in Portuguese football. ## What's next? Both former referees advocate for the use of more advanced technology, such as semi-automatic offside and systems to determine if the ball has crossed the goal line. However, they recognize the financial obstacle, estimating an investment of around five million euros. Pedro Henriques also advocates for the expansion of VAR's powers to set-piece situations and cases of identity swaps. He believes that clubs will also want these measures.