they didn't replace the player in time and conceded a goal!

The winning goal was scored in the 87th minute by Koki Ogawa. At that moment the Icelanders were down 10 because they did not respect the new substitution rule: the substituted player has 10 seconds to leave the field. If he exceeds this limit, the team will play in 10 for one minute, and only then the player entered from the bench will be able to step on the field.

The new rule for the 2026 World Cup hit the Japan-Iceland friendly

In the 85th minute, a double change was made. Hlynsson didn't come out within 10 seconds and Thorvaldsson couldn't go in immediately and had to sit on the touchline for another minute and Iceland played in 10. In that minute Japan went on a positional attack and Ogawa scored with a header. This is not the only addition to the regulations for the upcoming World Cup.

🚨 New World Cup rule in action:

Hlynsson 🇮🇸 took more than 10 seconds to leave the field during his substitution. As a result, his replacement had to wait a full minute before entering.

In that minute, Japan 🇯🇵 scored.pic.twitter.com/c2nYen4rHl

— Total Football (@TotalFootball) May 31, 2026

• Quick changes: The substituted player will have a maximum of 10 seconds to leave the court. If he needs more time, his substitute must wait a minute before coming on, thus leaving his team temporarily outnumbered.

• Players have five seconds to put the ball back in and out of goal. Exceeding this time will result in loss of possession.

• Medical assistance outside the field: The player receiving assistance on the field must leave the field and wait one minute before returning, unless the injury was caused by a tackle that attracts a card.

• VAR will be able to review second yellow cards leading to dismissals as well as wrongly awarded corners.

• The rule that only the captain can tackle the referee has gained even more weight as other players risk a yellow card if they pressure the referee