Gary Neville has praised FIFA's decision to introduce time-limited substitutions at the 2026 World Cup, calling it an 'unbelievable introduction' that will improve the game for fans. The tournament kicks off on Thursday evening in Mexico, where the host nation faces South Africa in the opening match.
New Rules at the 2026 World Cup
FIFA has implemented several rule changes for the 2026 World Cup, with time-limited substitutions being a key addition. Under the new rule, if a substituted player does not leave the pitch quickly enough, their team will temporarily be reduced to ten men. Neville, speaking on The Overlap, expressed his strong approval: 'I think this is an unbelievable introduction – time-limited substitutions. I love that. It's so annoying watching players walk off slowly. The players and teams are gaming the system.'
Another change Neville supports is the introduction of a throw-in counter to speed up play. 'We've got some rule changes coming in for the World Cup. I'm massively up for the throw-in counter. The amount of time that is taken in the Premier League … I've lost count of how many times we mentioned that last season. So I like that one,' he said.
Mixed Reactions from Pundits
While Neville is enthusiastic, fellow pundit Roy Keane has expressed concerns. Keane argued that the extreme heat at some venues could make it difficult to enforce the new rules. 'Some of the rules are about the speed of play but it's strange they've brought them in now when we're talking about the conditions being so tough for the players. If ever players will want to slow the game down it will be now given the heat in some of these venues,' Keane said.
England experienced a different new rule during their pre-World Cup friendly against Costa Rica, where kick-off was delayed by an hour due to lightning strikes in Orlando, highlighting the impact of weather-related protocols.
