How hydration breaks are changing the shape of matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

A screen announces a hydration break during the first half of an international friendly between Bosnia and Panama in St. Louis. (AP) New Delhi: In December last year, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada six months away, FIFA announced hydration breaks in both halves of the game. Similar breaks were introduced in 2014 and then selectively implemented four years ago in Qatar, where temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius.“For every match, regardless of where the matches are played, regardless of whether there’s a roof, (or) the temperature, there will be a three-minute hydration break. It will be three minutes from whistle to whistle in both halves,” said Manolo Zubiria, chief tournament director, USA, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As FIFA made clear, breaks were to be taken regardless of whether the outside temperature was 15 degrees or 35-40 degrees Celsius. After the first 24 matches, two games were categorized as “high heat” according to the wet bulb index: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (in Miami) and Sweden vs. Tunisia (in Monterrey). Other matches that witnessed scorching heat were: Germany vs. Curacao (in Houston), Portugal vs. Congo (in Houston), Netherlands vs. Japan (in Dallas) and England vs. Croatia (in Dallas).Now the referee will immediately stop the game in the 22nd minute of both halves, regardless of the weather, type of stadium (roofed or not), conditions. The referee blows his whistle and the players head to the sideline for water.While this is ostensibly put in place as a measure for player welfare, the holes are evident and the field is divided. USA coach Mauricio Pochettino said: “I don’t like it. I only like it when the conditions are extreme. But when the conditions are good, it’s pointless.”England manager Thomas Tuchel isn’t a fan either. “I think it interrupts and changes the identity of a football match much more than I thought. I had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter,” Tuchel said.“They’ve been shorter and they’ve only been in a few games. Here, to be fair, it’s done every game now for every team. It breaks the game down almost into four quarters. And I think it changes the nature of the game more than I thought.”

Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa talks to his players during a hydration break in their World Cup Group H match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Florida. (AP)

Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa echoed Tuchel’s thoughts on stopping the game. “This culture change adds nothing and takes away a lot. I will just say that before this decision football had a characteristic, now it has a different one,” Bielsa said.“As a player it can work both ways,” said Belgium’s Youri Tielemans. “In some cities, it’s not so hot, and maybe we shouldn’t do it. But at the end of the day, if you do it in some cities, you should do it for everybody.”

An illustration of the hydration breaks being observed in all matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (TimesofIndia.com illustration)

French striker Kylian Mbappe remained neutral. “Hydration breaks? Don’t ask us players our opinion, we’re very reactionary,” he said. “If we dominate in the 25th minute tomorrow and there’s a hydration break, we’ll be angry.”“Because it disrupts our rhythm, but if the weather is hot or they control us, I’ll be happy.Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro has hit out at FIFA for the commercial foray that is the hydration break.“It’s a commercial break, not a hydration break,” he said. “The game is getting out of hand.”7 hours, 30 minutes, 40 seconds more commercial time

A hydration break sign is displayed during the World Cup Group F match between the Netherlands and Japan in Arlington, Texas. (AP)

During hydration breaks, broadcasters may cut to commercial 20 seconds after the referee blows the whistle and must return 30 seconds before the restart.That’s 4 minutes and 20 seconds of advertising time per match, or 7 hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds over a 104-game tournament.Fox Corporation, which reportedly paid nearly $500 million to broadcast the World Cup in the U.S., violated those rules during the opening of the tournament in Mexico and South Africa.

How hydration breaks down is more than just a measure of a player’s well-being. (TimesofIndia.com illustration/NotebookLM)

Fox went over its commercials by 40 seconds and missed the return to live coverage when the game started. But the broadcaster avoided the fine.The US alone could account for more than $250 million (Rs 2367.91 crore) in ad revenue during hydration breaks. Globally, according to experts, it could reach billions of dollars.

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente talks to players during a hydration break during the World Cup Group H match between Spain and Cape Verde in Atlanta. (AP)

In India, the ad inventory for a 10-second spot on Zee, the official broadcaster, is quoted at Rs 2.25-2.75 crore. There are slots for pre-match, post-match, half-time and also these hydration breaks.BBC Sport reported that a 30-second ad spot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (Rs 1.89 crore) and $300,000 (Rs 2.84 crore). It can go up to $750,000 (Rs 7.10 crore) during the USA matches and the final stages.Ads are shown around the world during these hydration breaks. India, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, Australia, Gulf countries and sub-Saharan Africa have all witnessed advertising.

The US alone could account for more than $250 million in ad revenue during hydration breaks. It could reach billions of dollars globally

Experts

Some broadcasters have chosen not to show ads. The BBC does not show adverts in the UK; Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo and Britain’s ITV have also decided not to run commercials. However, ITVs are also restricted by the national regulator.Fox Sports also experimented with their approach. During the Mexico vs. South Korea match, the broadcaster used a split screen of live footage from the stadium and commercials. Elsewhere they also displayed full screen ads.Managers use breaks to change strategy

Brazilian Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates a goal against Morocco. (AP photo)

Brazil trailed Morocco 1-0 after a poor start. Six minutes after the hydration break, Vinicius Jr. cut back onto his right foot and curled the ball into the net. Individual brilliance, no doubt, but manager Carlo Ancelotti later acknowledged that the hydration break had allowed him to change his approach.“You can explain the problem to the players,” said the Italian manager when asked how the breaks could benefit the team. “(You can) make a tactical adjustment that can be very good.”Not just Brazil. Canada gave Bosnia and Herzegovina a 1-1 draw soon after the break. Scotland scored shortly after the break in a 1-0 win over Haiti. Australia opened the scoring straight after the break with a 2-0 win against Turkey.

Games are affected at the 2026 World Cup due to hydration breaks. (Illustration by TimesofIndia.com)

Unlike regular halftime breaks, managers can use hydration breaks to regroup and change strategy. What was a game of two halves became one of four quarters.According to statistics firm Driblab, there have been 24 momentum shifts after the restart in the first 28 games or 56 stoppages. Four of the 10 stops resulted in turnovers. And in the next 20 breaks, the team that dominated – like England against Croatia – began to hiss after the first break. Spain, who heroically kept Cape Verde in a deadlock, were also tied after the second break.A total of 44 of the 56 timeouts after 28 games – or 78.6% of the time – disrupted the momentum of matches due to the timeout.

France head coach Didier Deschamps talks to Kylian Mbappe (10) during a hydration break during their World Cup match against Iraq in Philadelphia. (AP)

Indian defender Sandesh Jhingan, who plays for FC Goa in the Indian Super League, suggested that it should be applied on terms and even then tactical changes should not be discussed.“There has to be some rule that only if the temperature is like that, then we will have a break, but a shorter break. And then the players are not allowed to go out to huddle and the tactical board comes out. That should not be allowed,” Jhingan, who is a pundit on Zee5, told TimesofIndia.com.“Maybe it’s enough if a water cart comes quickly, maybe five yards down the field, you shouldn’t be allowed to leave the touchline.So everyone stays on one side. Only water comes in, quick sip, boom, off you go. I think that would be the way forward.”He also argued that three minutes is a long time for a game to be disrupted.“Three minutes in the football world is a lot of time. Literally 7 to 8 attacks can happen in three minutes.”“Why we love this sport is that when you’re tired, when you’re so exhausted, your brain is too tired. Your heart rate is at 170-180. The game opens up because you make some bad decisions. And that’s what excites people. Now you take that away.”“After 22-23 minutes, you have a three-minute break. You can prepare again. Change tactics. And you start playing again. So you disturb each other.”