Four quarters, not two halves: How FIFA is turning the World Cup into an NFL-style NBA and NFL event

2026 FIFA World Cup (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: The ubiquitous description of football as a “game of two halves” is set for a new narrative as FIFA, the game’s governing body, has included a three-minute hydration break midway through each half of every match at the 2026 World Cup, a move that essentially divides the game into four quarters similar to the host NBA and NFL.Previous World Cups also had cooling breaks, but only when the temperature rose above a certain level. But this time, regardless of the mood of the weather, whether it’s a sweltering afternoon in Houston or a crisp evening in Vancouver, the referee will stop play around the 22nd and 67th minute. This effectively divides football into four distinct quarters, which also closely mirrors the structure of sports such as hockey and basketball (NBA).With three-minute breaks, coaches now get enough time to issue new instructions, settle players under pressure or make tactical changes that can affect the game on the pitch. But in pursuit of commercial advantages, FIFA has allowed TV networks to broadcast mid-game commercials during these mandatory breaks. The rules are carefully structured by the governing body. If broadcasters use split-screen coverage and keep the match viewable, only FIFA partners and official sponsors of the World Cup may advertise. The adjustment guarantees an unprecedented 624 extra minutes of stoppage time in the tournament’s 104 matches, meaning more than 10 hours of extra broadcast buffer. That’s enough time to play seven full-time football games.The move, which mirrors America’s advertiser-friendly model of the NBA and NFL games, has drawn mixed reactions from coaches around the world. USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino expressed his frustration, saying: “To be honest, I don’t like it. I don’t like it because I think you’re limiting the rhythm of the game. I understand when you play in open stadiums, maybe yes, we have to worry about the health of the players. But in this type of stadium (Atlanta’s place), when it’s 21 to 22 degrees Celsius, I think it’s 21 to 22 degrees Celsius. It annoys me a bit, but that is the new rule we must accept.’ While Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia said in favor of the rule: “I like them because it’s an opportunity for us coaches to talk to the team, to talk about the strategy and the plan. It was very good and interesting to talk to the team during these breaks.” At the heart of the entertainment, the World Cup Finals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey will feature a massive Super Bowl-style halftime show that will extend the traditional 15-minute interval to nearly 30 minutes.But that is not FIFPro policy and other players questioned the safety of players from the rising heat early last year. It certainly opens up football to greater commercialization. And if that wasn’t enough, TV partners will have the luxury of showing three opening ceremonies in Mexico, Canada and the United States. In short, the World Cup is getting bigger, louder and built for American television.