Football could witness one of its most significant rule overhauls in decades, as FIFA prepares to revisit Arsène Wenger’s proposal to reform the offside law ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
The initiative, known informally as the “Wenger Law,” has gained renewed traction under the former Arsenal manager, who now serves as FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development. According to former Spanish referee Eduardo Iturralde, speaking on Cadena Ser Radio, the law will be studied in depth by FIFA’s technical committee between late October and December 2025 — a group composed of 23 players and 11 referees, all overseen by Wenger himself.
The proposed change seeks to favour attacking play by modifying what it means to be offside. Under the current rule, if any part of a player’s body that can legally score a goal is ahead of both the ball and the second-last defender, the player is offside. Wenger’s vision would allow the attacker to remain onside provided that any part of their goal-scoring body — whether foot, head or torso — is level with the defender.
In practice, this would eliminate many of the marginal “toe-nail” offsides that have sparked VAR controversies in recent seasons. Supporters of the proposal argue that it would restore flow to the game and encourage more attacking football. Critics, however, caution that defenders could be forced to drop deeper, potentially congesting the pitch and undermining the intended attacking advantage.
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The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which governs the game’s laws, has confirmed that offside reform is under active review but emphasised that widespread trials will precede any permanent change. Wenger first unveiled the idea in 2020, and early testing in lower-tier competitions showed encouraging signs for smoother, faster-paced play.
If approved, the revised law could be implemented in time for the expanded 2026 World Cup, to be staged across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The reform would mark the most consequential update to football’s offside rule in more than three decades — a shift that could redefine attacking tactics and reshape how the world’s most popular sport is played.
As Wenger once said, “Football must always evolve — but never lose its soul.”