Portugal’s Primeira Liga to See More Goals as FIFA Tweaks Offside Rule

Portugal’s coaching staffs are already sketching new tactical boards after world football’s lawmakers hinted they may soon redefine impedimento. The proposal—championed by Arsène Wenger—would require an attacker’s entire body to be beyond the penultimate defender to be flagged offside. In practice, a striker level by a stud, knee or shoulder would now stay onside, a tweak that could tilt matches toward higher score-lines and fewer VAR stoppages.

Why Portuguese fans should care now

• Primeira Liga game-plans could change overnight, favouring clubs that press high and break fast.

• Broadcasters expect extra goal highlights, a boon for subscription platforms in Portugal and abroad.

• The rule may debut as early as the 2026 World Cup—and several Seleção regulars play on that razor-thin offside line.

• Referees from the Portuguese federation would need new training just months before the semi-automatic offside technology rollout.

The essence of the “Lei Wenger”

Current Law 11 punishes attackers if any playable body part drifts beyond the last defender. The proposed wording flips the burden: only when the full torso and limbs clear that line would the whistle blow. Tests in youth tournaments across Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands produced more fluid matches, according to FIFA’s data department.

Inside the corridors of power

Gianni Infantino placed the change on the agenda of the next annual meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in London. Four British associations plus FIFA hold the votes, and insiders say there is “growing consensus” that microscopic VAR lines are damaging the spectacle. Should it pass, implementation windows under discussion are the 2026-27 domestic season or straight into the North American World Cup that same summer.

Tactical ripple effects for Liga Portugal

Portuguese analysts foresee a revival of the classic nº 9:

Porto’s drag-back runs by Mehdi Taremi would become harder to police, stretching back-lines that already play deep.

Sporting’s high press might be riskier; defenders holding a trap could see opponents legally lurking behind.

Smaller clubs such as Casa Pia or Estrela da Amadora could retreat even further, ceding territory but hoping to break the now-expanded offside net.

Coaches are weighing trade-offs: do they drop the last defender five metres or demand faster recovery sprints from full-backs? Analysts at Universidade de Coimbra project a potential 15 % rise in expected goals if Portuguese teams keep their current lines.

Voices from inside Portuguese football

Former FIFA referee Pedro Henriques told RTP that the idea “removes the obsession with elbows and unhas” and would let officials focus on “macro, not micro” decisions. Yet Rúben Amorim warned that “we risk turning every through-ball into a foot race we cannot win.” TV pundit Maniche argues that the tweak could finally end the “linha de unha” memes that flood Portuguese social media after contentious VAR checks.

What the numbers suggest

Early pilots logged a 22 % reduction in VAR stoppages and a jump from 2.8 to 3.6 goals per game. Data analysts at Opta say wide forwards gain the most, spending an extra 0.9 seconds unmarked on average. Defenses countered by dropping their block by just 1.3 m, a small concession that nonetheless opened space between midfield and back-line.

The road ahead

If IFAB signs off, FIFA would circulate a clarification bulletin to all national federations, including the Federação Portuguesa de Futebol, by the spring. Training modules for referees and lines-people would follow, while VAR rooms in Seixal and Cidade do Futebol prepare software tweaks. Until then, coaches—and fans—can only imagine how many historic goals might have stood had a boot-lace no longer mattered.