A regulation soccer game is 90 minutes long, divided into two 45-minute halves. However, the actual time it takes to complete a game with official action time, halftime, and stoppage time makes the game closer to two hours.
Here is a breakdown of how long a soccer game typically takes:
- Official action time: 90 minutes
- Halftime: 15 minutes
- Stoppage time: 3-5 minutes
- Total time: 105-120 minutes
Stoppage time is added to the end of each half to account for time lost due to injuries, substitutions, and other delays. The referee has the discretion to add as much or as little stoppage time as they see fit.
In the knockout stages of major tournaments, such as the World Cup and the European Championships, if the score is tied after 90 minutes, extra time is played. Extra time consists of two 15-minute halves. If the score is still tied after extra time, the game is decided by a penalty shootout.
A penalty shootout is a sudden-death competition in which each team takes five penalties. The team that scores the most penalties wins the game. If the score is still tied after five penalties, the shootout continues until one team has more goals than the other.
