The Longest Match in Soccer History

Most soccer matches last just 90 minutes plus stoppage time, but a select few have stretched on for hours, and in some cases, even days.

Chelsea and Benfica were part of a marathon match in 2025. | Agustin Marcarian-Reuters via Imagn Images

A standard soccer match lasts 90 minutes, plus added stoppage time in league play.

In knockout competitions, however, games can stretch to 120 minutes if the score is level after 90, with an additional 30 minutes of extra time followed by a penalty shootout if needed to determine a winner.

Occasionally, though, matches last far longer than expected for a variety of unusual reasons.

Here, Sports Illustrated looks back at some of the longest games in soccer history, starting with the longest of them all.

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The Longest Game in Soccer History

The longest competitive soccer match ever recorded took place between Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers at Edgeley Park on March 30, 1946.

After finishing 2–2 in regular time, the game moved into the standard 30 minutes of extra time—but still no winner emerged. Instead, the match continued under a “play-to-win” format, similar to what is now known as a golden goal.

Stockport believed they had finally secured victory in the 173rd minute when Les Cocker found the net, only for the goal to be ruled out, cutting their celebrations short.

Ultimately, the match stretched to an incredible three hours and 23 minutes, a record that has stood for decades.

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Other Notable Long Games in Soccer History

A charity match set a world record in 2019. | Kicking Off Against Cancer

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the longest amateur soccer match ever played came courtesy of a group of players in Wales, who in 2019 set a world record by playing continuously for 169 hours. The marathon match was organized to raise money for the charity Kicking Off Against Cancer.

Held at the Air Dome in Leckwith, Cardiff, the format allowed each player a five-minute break for every hour played—equating to roughly one hour of rest for every 12 hours on the field.

At the professional level, one of the most unusually long matches occurred during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, when Benfica faced Chelsea. The game was heavily disrupted by a nearby lightning strike, forcing a delay of around two hours midway through.

When combined with the full 90 minutes of regulation time and extra time needed to separate the teams, the match lasted close to five hours in total. However, since a large portion of that time was due to the weather delay rather than continuous play, it does not officially rank among the longest matches in history.

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