No two football pitches have to be the same size

Unlike most sports, football has no single official pitch size. The Laws of the Game, maintained by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), define only a range.

For ordinary matches, a pitch may be 90-120 metres long (100-130 yards) and 45-90 metres wide (50-100 yards) - with the one firm rule that the touchline must be longer than the goal line. For international fixtures, the bounds tighten to 100-110 m long and 64-75 m wide, so a World Cup pitch still isn’t a fixed shape.

That flexibility is why famous grounds differ, and it shapes tactics: a wide pitch suits passing teams, a narrow one favours a direct, compact style.

Within those limits, each competition - and even each club - can choose its own dimensions.