New Delhi: Last December, with the 2026 fifa world cup Six months later, in the United States, Mexico and Canada, FIFA announced hydration breaks in the first and second half of matches. Similar breaks were introduced in 2014 and were selectively implemented in Qatar four years ago when temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius.“Every game, regardless of where the game is played, regardless of whether there is a roof or not, regardless of the temperature, there will be a three-minute hydration break. Both halves will last three minutes from whistle to whistle,” said Manolo Zubiria, chief tournament officer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup USA. FIFA has made it clear that breaks are required regardless of whether the outdoor temperature is 15 degrees Celsius or 35-40 degrees Celsius. After the first 24 games, two games were classified as “hot” according to the wet-ball index: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay (in Miami) and Sweden vs. Tunisia (in Monterrey). Other exciting games include: Germany vs. Curacao (Houston), Portugal vs. Congo (Houston), Netherlands vs. Japan (Dallas) and England vs. Croatia (Dallas).Now, regardless of weather, stadium type (roof or not), conditions, the referee will stop the game immediately at the 22nd minute of each half. The referee blew his whistle and the players went to the sidelines to drink water.While seemingly introduced as a player welfare measure, the loopholes are obvious and the field is divided. “I don’t like it,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “I only like it when the conditions are extreme. But when the conditions are good, it’s not necessary.”England head coach Thomas Tuchel is not a fan either. “I think it disrupts and changes the identity of the game a lot more than I thought. In the past, when it was very, very hot and needed, I had taken breaks to rehydrate, but for shorter periods of time,” Tuchel said.“They were shorter and only played a few games. To be fair, every team does it every game now. It pretty much breaks the game up within four quarters. I think it changes the character of the game more than I thought.”
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa talks to his players during a break during their World Cup Group H match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Associated Press)
Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa echoed Tuchel’s sentiments about the game being broken. “This change of culture does not add anything, but takes away a lot. I just want to say that before this decision was taken, football had one character and now it has another character,” Bielsa said.“As a player, it can go both ways,” Belgium’s Youri Tielemans said. “In some cities, it’s not as hot, so 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 everyone.”
Illustration of hydration breaks to be followed in all matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Illustration from Times of India.com)
France forward Kylian Mbappe remains neutral. “Water loss? Don’t ask our players what we think, we are very reactionary,” he said. “If tomorrow we were dominant in the 25th minute and there was a water break, we would be angry.”“Because it breaks our rhythm, but if it’s hot or we get dominated, I’ll be happy.”Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro has slammed FIFA’s commercial intrusion into hydration breaks.“This is an advertising break, not a hydration break,” he said. “The game got out of hand.”7 hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds of more advertising time
A sign indicating rest and hydration was hung during the World Cup Group F match between the Netherlands and Japan in Arlington, Texas. (Associated Press)
During the water break, broadcasters can cut to commercials within 20 seconds of the referee’s whistle and must return 30 seconds before the restart.That’s 4 minutes and 20 seconds of advertising opportunity per game, or 7 hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds of advertising opportunity for the entire 104 games.Fox, which reportedly spent nearly $500 million to broadcast the World Cup in the United States, violated those guidelines during the opening games between Mexico and South Africa.
How water breaks down is more than just a player welfare measure. (TimesofIndia.com Illustration/NotebookLM)
Fox’s commercial lasted 40 seconds and missed the opportunity to return to live taping at the start of the game. However, the broadcaster avoided a fine.The US alone generated over $250 million (Rs 2,367.91 million) in advertising revenue during the break. Experts say the figure could reach billions of dollars globally.
Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente talks to his players during a break during Spain’s World Cup Group H match against Cape Verde in Atlanta. (Associated Press)
In India, ad inventory for a 10-second ad on state broadcaster Zee is reported to be Rs 2.25-2.75 lakh. There are also pre-game, post-game, halftime and hydration breaks.According to BBC Sport, a 30-second spot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (Rs. 189 crore) and $300,000 (Rs. 284 crore). The prize money could climb to $750,000 (Rs. 710 crore) during Team USA matches and finals.During these hydration breaks, commercials play around the world. Advertisements have appeared in India, Mexico, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, Australia, the Gulf countries and sub-Saharan Africa.
Advertising revenue during hydration breaks exceeds $250 million in the United States alone. Globally could reach $1 billion
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Some broadcasters have chosen not to turn to advertising. Britain’s BBC does not air ads; Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo and Britain’s ITV also choose not to run ads. However, ITV is also subject to restrictions by national regulators.Fox Sports also tried theirs. During the Mexico-South Korea match, broadcasters used split-screen to show live stadium footage and commercials. Elsewhere, they’ve shown full-screen ads.Managers use downtime to change strategies
Brazil’s Vinicius Junior (7) celebrates his goal against Morocco. (AP Photo)
Brazil got off to a bad start, trailing Morocco 0-1. After a six-minute break for rehydration, Vinicius Jr. cut inside with his right foot and fired the ball into the top of the net. There was no doubt individual talent, but manager Carlo Ancelotti later admitted that a hydration break had allowed him to change his approach.Asked how the break would benefit the team, the Italian coach said: “You can explain things to the players.” “[You can] A very good tactical adjustment to make. “It’s not just Brazil. Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina shortly after halftime. Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 with a goal shortly after the break. Australia opened the scoring after the break, beating Türkiye 2-0.
Competition at the 2026 World Cup has been affected due to a lack of water. (Illustration from Times of India.com)
Unlike traditional halftime breaks, managers can use hydration breaks to regroup and change strategy. The original two-half game became a four-quarter game.In the first 28 games, or 56 breaks, 24 power changes were recorded after restarts, according to statistics firm Driblab. Four out of ten stoppages resulted in a reversal of the course of the game. Over the next 20 games, dominant teams (such as England vs. Croatia) started to underperform after the first break. The Spanish team, which was heroically tied by Cape Verde, was also tied after the second break.Of the 56 breaks after 28 games, 44 of them — 78.6 percent — disrupted the momentum of the game.
France coach Didier Deschamps talks to Kylian Mbappe (10) during a hydration break during the World Cup match against Iraq in Philadelphia. (Associated Press)
Indian defender Sandesh Kingan, who plays for FC Goa in the Indian Premier League, said adjustments should be made based on the situation and even then tactical changes should not be discussed.“There needs to be a specific rule, only when the temperature reaches this level we will take a break, but for a shorter period of time. Then the players were not allowed to go out and huddle together, and the tactical board came out. This should not be allowed,” Zee5 expert Jhingan told TimesofIndia.com.“Maybe just to have a water tanker speeding five yards into the pitch, you shouldn’t be allowed to leave the touchline.So everyone stayed aside. Only water comes in, take a quick sip and boom, you’re gone. I think that will be the way forward. “He also believes that three minutes is a long time to disrupt the game.“Three minutes is a long time in the football world. In fact, seven or eight attacks can occur in three minutes.“Why we love this sport is because when you’re tired, when you’re exhausted, your brain is overtired. Your heart rate is at 170-180. The game started because you made some bad decisions. That’s what gets people excited. Now you take that away.“After 22-23 minutes, you have a three-minute break. You can prepare again. Adjust tactics. Then you start playing again. So you continue to cancel each other out.”
