The largest tournament at the national teams level in the history of football has kicked off, which is the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico with the participation of 48 teams for the first time.
The group stage along with the round of 16 of the World Cup has ended, while the next few hours will witness the completion of the quarter-final stage, which will witness new surprises.
As part of a series presented by "Yalla Koura" to its followers over 39 days to review the most prominent regulations and organizational information related to the World Cup, this time we shed light on the mechanism for handling the organization of protests in the World Cup tournament.
How does FIFA organize the submission of protests in the World Cup?
According to Article Nine of the World Cup competition regulations, any objection must be related to events or incidents that directly affect the match, such as the condition of the pitch, the eligibility of players, the equipment used, or the stadium facilities and official balls.
The regulations require teams wishing to submit a protest to deliver it in writing to the match director within two hours of the end of the match, and it must also be submitted via the FIFA legal portal within 24 hours of the final whistle; otherwise, the protest is considered null and void and will not be considered.
The regulations also granted a different deadline for protests related to player eligibility, as they must be submitted at least five days before the start of the first match in the tournament, and the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will adjudicate them.
The regulations also clarified that protests related to the condition of the pitch or equipment, such as the goal, corner flags, or the ball, must be reported to the referee before the start of the match by the head of the national team's delegation.
However, if the pitch becomes unplayable during the match, the captain of the protesting team must immediately inform the referee in the presence of the opposing team's captain, before confirming the protest in writing after the match within the specified deadline.
Regarding incidents that occur during the course of the match, the regulations stressed the necessity for the team captain to object to the referee immediately after the incident and before resuming play, provided that the protest is documented in writing after the match within two hours.
In contrast, FIFA confirmed that the referee's decisions related to the events of the game itself are final and may not be protested or appealed, except in cases stipulated by the Disciplinary Code.
The regulations warned against submitting unjustified or malicious protests, as the Disciplinary Committee has the right to impose sanctions on the national association that submits an irresponsible protest.
It also confirmed that any protest that does not meet the conditions and procedures stipulated will be excluded, and no protests of this type will be accepted after the final match of the tournament, while the Disciplinary Committee retains the right to open any disciplinary investigation on its own initiative if it deems there is a violation that warrants it.
