The "Hydration Break," made mandatory for all matches for the first time at the 2026 World Cup in North and Central America, may be retained at the next tournament. Despite criticism that it disrupts the flow of play and persistent jeers from spectators, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) assessed that it had positive effects in terms of player protection and improved performance.
According to the Associated Press and other outlets, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in an interview with British sports media outlet SNTV that "we plan to analyze the effectiveness of the system based on the experience from this tournament," expressing his intention to review whether to continue it going forward.
Infantino particularly emphasized that the break helped not only players' physical recovery but also improvements in the quality of play. "Coaches can review the match situation and convey tactical adjustments, and players can return to high-intensity play after a short rest," he said. "I have never seen matches where strong pressing and a fast tempo were maintained throughout all 90 minutes like in this tournament."
The Hydration Break is conducted once each in the first and second halves for about three minutes. FIFA made the system mandatory for all matches, reflecting concerns that this World Cup, held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, could become one of the hottest tournaments in history. In the past, it was implemented only above certain temperatures at the referee's discretion, but from this tournament it was applied uniformly regardless of weather.
However, since the system's introduction, there has been considerable criticism among fans and some football officials. Beyond disrupting the flow of play, suspicions were even raised that it was a measure to secure advertising time during broadcasts.
In response, Infantino drew a line, saying that FIFA does not gain additional revenue from the structure. "The broadcasting rights contracts were already signed before the Hydration Break was introduced," he explained. "Broadcasters may be able to earn revenue from additional advertising, but FIFA's revenue does not increase at all."
FIFA's position is that fairness is rather secured by granting the same break in all matches. If breaks were provided only in certain matches, some teams could face advantages or disadvantages depending on climate conditions. "If we grant breaks only in matches played on hot days, fairness issues could arise," Infantino said.
But reactions on the ground were mixed. According to Reuters, jeers erupted from the stands during the England-Croatia match held in Dallas, U.S., when the first Hydration Break began in the 22nd minute of the first half. Similar scenes played out in the Ghana-Panama match in Toronto and the Norway-Iraq match in Boston. In particular, the temperature in some matches was only around 23 degrees Celsius, raising questions about the necessity of breaks.
Coaches, too, while sympathizing with the intent of player protection, expressed regret over the uniform application. Panama's coach Thomas Christiansen said, "The break time is in fact used as time to adjust tactics," adding, "The weather was not hot, but since it is a rule, we have to accept it."
A similar system has already been operated on the European stage. The English Premier League (EPL) implemented "cooling breaks" to provide players with rest time when heatwaves occurred. FIFA's Hydration Break is also assessed to have been inspired by such systems.
The difference, however, is the scope of application. While the EPL's cooling breaks were carried out only in high-temperature environments, FIFA implemented them uniformly in all matches regardless of temperature. With the justification of securing player safety, along with confirmed effects such as maintaining match tempo, managing stamina and improving tactical execution, attention is focused on what decision FIFA will make going forward.
