Arya News - Hydration breaks will allow coaches to speak with players and alter strategies on the fly during halves.
Commercial breaks are essentially coming to the World Cup in 2026. FIFA announced Sunday that each World Cup game will feature three-minute hydration breaks in the middle of every half. The measure was reportedly discussed at meetings featuring coaches and broadcasters following Friday"s World Cup draw, per Henry Bushnell of The Athletic.
FIFA said the new policy will be adopted to assist with player safety. There was concern about hydration and player safety after a number of Club World Cup games in the U.S. occurred in the middle of the day in high temperatures. FIFA already attempted to mitigate that in its World Cup 2026 planning, as many games in the U.S. will occur in domed stadiums or at night to lessen the heat factor for players.
The hydration breaks — which will occur at 22 minutes in each half — essentially break up games into four quarters. The clock will still run during hydration breaks, with three minutes being added to stoppage time at the end of each half.
The hydration breaks will occur no matter the weather conditions. This will ensure every single team and game faces equal conditions , per Inside FIFA.
“For every game, no matter where the games are played, no matter if there’s a roof, (or) temperature-wise, 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 Officer, USA, for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in announcing the initiative at the World Broadcaster Meeting which was held in Washington DC.
The breaks conveniently also allow networks to schedule commercial breaks during games.
In addition to making sure players remain hydrated, the breaks will have other potentially major impacts on the game. Coaches will now be able to speak with players and adjust their strategies during halves, per The Athletic, allowing teams to alter tactics on the fly .
The 2026 World Cup will begin June 11, 2026, and continue through July 19, 2026. Games will be held in a number of cities throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico.