▪️First Ghana player to score at a World Cup
▪️Most World Cup goals by any African player (6)
▪️Scored in every World Cup he's played in
▪️Scored Ghana's fastest World Cup goal (68 seconds)
▪️Most World Cup appearances for Ghana (11 games)
Asamoah Gyan 👑🇬🇭
Spent 250 cedis on perfume and got zero attention. Then I switched to Abochi perfume. Now whenever I pass by, girls be turning their necks like they forgot something behind them. Akoa me ho bɔn Red fish
Key Changes to Curb Time-Wasting and Speed Up Play during 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• 5-second countdowns for restarts: Referees will use a visible hand signal for a 5-second countdown on throw-ins and goal kicks. If not taken in time, the throw-in goes to the opponents; a late goal kick becomes a corner for the opponents.
• Substitutions: Subbed players have 10 seconds to leave the pitch (at the nearest point). If they delay, the replacement waits until the next stoppage after 1 minute of play (team plays short temporarily). Exceptions for injury/safety.
• Off-field treatment: Players receiving on-pitch medical treatment (outfielders) must leave the field for at least 1 minute after restart. Exceptions include goalkeepers, collisions involving keepers/teammates, head injuries/concussions, or when the player will take a penalty.
• Hydration/cooling breaks: A 3-minute break around the 22nd minute of each half (with referee flexibility).
• Goalkeepers can no longer trigger “tactical timeouts” by staying down for treatment while players leave the pitch.
These aim to boost ball-in-play time significantly compared to previous tournaments.
Discipline and Behavior Changes
• Red card for covering mouth: A player covering their mouth (with hand, arm, or shirt) in a confrontational situation (e.g., arguments or potential abuse) gets a straight red. Friendly chats (e.g., with opponents from the same club) are exempt. This targets hidden discriminatory/racist slurs.
• Red card for leaving the pitch in protest: Players (or officials inciting it) who walk off to protest a referee decision face a red card. Teams causing abandonment can forfeit the match.
VAR Expansions
VAR’s protocol broadens for more interventions (without major delays):
• Checking clearly wrong second yellow cards or mistaken identity on cards.
• Overturning incorrectly awarded corners (if fixable immediately before restart; not reversing goal kicks to corners).
• Fouls by attackers before a set-piece restart (e.g., blocking before a corner) — can lead to retaken kick + sanction.
Tournament-Specific Rules
• Yellow card amnesty: Single yellows reset after the group stage and after the quarter-finals (to protect key players in later stages).
• Format reminder (not a “rule change” per se, but structural): 48 teams in 12 groups of 4; top 2 + 8 best third-placed advance to a Round of 32. Total: 104 matches.
Compiled by .@thebadass