What is the longest football match in history?

As it is well established that football is the most played and followed sport around the globe. While, fans may not know all the little rules and technicalities, it is very well established that football matches last 90 minutes, with two 45-minute halves. 

This time can be extended with the addition of injury time and if the match is a knockout tie, the match could go on for 120 minutes and a penalty shootout after that. Even in modern football with all the advancements in sports science and other technology, these added 30 minutes have a considerable toll on the players. 

Problems such as fatigue and muscle cramps are very common in such situations, even with fitness and stamina a key part of football training nowadays. So it is very hard to believe that there were times when matches regularly went over these time constraints. 

Football has always been more than just a sport to people and has been played all over the world for decades and football matches continued to be played even during the World War period. 

Football rules have changed a lot over the years, earlier matches used to be replayed when the score was tied at the end of regular time until a team could score higher and be declared as the winner. This naturally leads to a lot of extra matches and minutes for the players. Reports even suggested that a total of 137 games were played in just over seven weeks in 1940 in league competitions. 

This led to the commission changing the rules and the points being awarded to the team with a higher league score in case of a tie. Many clubs and fans expressed their displeasure regarding this change and claimed that it was “unfair”. 

During the Lancashire Cup, the rule makers decided to experiment with a new rule that the match would continue until any team scored a goal. This was the sole cause for some of the longest matches in football history. 

The “Play to Finish” or “Golden Goal” rule was introduced at the FIFA World Cup in 1942 and was later picked up and used in various other leagues and competitions. Later, additional changes were suggested and implemented. Such as at the end of 20 minutes of extra time, the win to be awarded to the team which scored a goal or won a corner kick. This rule was used in the League South Cup games in 1942-1943, in the hope to avoid any such previously recorded long matches. 

What is the longest recorded football match in history? 

The longest football match in history was the showdown between English clubs Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers at Edgeley Park on March 30, 1946.

The match was tied 2-2 at the end of normal time, then went into 30 miniatures of extra time but even that was insufficient for both teams. In the end, the match lasted a remarkable three hours and 23 minutes and the world record has stood for over half a century.