FIFA is weighing up whether to introduce penalty shootouts if group stage games end up in a stalemate for the expanded World Cup in 2026 - leaving fans raging.
The next tournament will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and it will include 48 teams rather than 32, with 16 groups of three teams rather than the eight groups of four, as has traditionally been the format.
The top two will be seeded to a round of 32 knockout stage, a game more than the current model of having a round of 16.
And among the concepts of shaking up the World Cup is to bring in penalty shootouts so no games can end in a draw, report The Athletic.
And fans have blasted the concept online, raging at FIFA for meddling in the format.
What are your thoughts on introducing penalties? Tell us in the comments section below.
One scorned: "The current format is perfect. Don't fix it if it ain't broke... Three team groups opens up the possibilities of match manipulation far more.. As in 1982."
Another said: "When will these idiots stop messing, the truth is all they care about is maximising revenue in order to line their own pockets. If the FA had an once of guts they'd walk away from FIFA & UEFA!"
A third wrote: "It's almost as if expanding it further won't improve the quality." And a fourth added: "Absolutely pointless exercise."
A last one said: "Our ability to tinker with things that have no reason for change will always amaze me.."
It is thought the shootouts could take place before kick-off or at full-time.
Marco van Basten, the former Netherlands star and now FIFA's chief officer for technical development said in January 2017 that penalty shootouts could be introduced as a method of determining a winner in drawn matches during the group stage.
“Shootouts could indeed be an option for tournaments with groups of three in which you play against two opponents,” Van Basten told Sport Bild.
“It can get pretty tight. If one team for instance draws one match 0-0 and wins the other 1-0, there's a high risk that all three teams are level on points and goals in the end.”