The revised calendar introduced an extra knockout phase, the round of 32, which radically altered tactical risk management. Teams no longer played for conservative draws in the final 15 minutes of regulation. Official tracking metrics highlighted by the BBC revealed that over 28% of all goals scored during the group phase arrived after the 75th minute, shattering the previous tournament peak of 21.4% established in Brazil in 2014.
Referees consistently enforced strict stoppage-time protocols, extending matches routinely past the 100-minute mark. This prolonged match duration punished low-block defensive setups facing relentless wave attacks. Five separate fixtures featured game-winning goals scored in the 94th minute or later during the opening fortnight alone, an unprecedented rate in World Cup records broken during group play. Squad depth became the primary differentiator as managers exhausted all five allowed substitutions to exploit late-match defensive fatigue.
