Korea national team head coach Hong Myung-bo gives instructions to players during a hydration break during their Group A opener against the Czech Republic at Guadalajara Stadium in Zapopan, Mexico at the 2026 World Cup, Friday, June 12. Yonhap
FIFA’s newly introduced hydration break system for the 2026 World Cup is increasingly coming under fire, as criticism mounts that the breaks have essentially become cash-grab opportunities for broadcasters to air advertisements.
British daily The Guardian reported Monday that a broadcasting mishap occurred during the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa, when U.S. broadcaster Fox cut to advertisements during a hydration break and failed to return to the game in time, resulting in viewers missing 10 seconds of play after the match resumed.
Hydration breaks were first used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when temperatures during matches rose above 32 degrees Celsius. At this year’s World Cup, FIFA decided to introduce three-minute breaks in each half of every match, regardless of the temperature, as a measure to protect players.
But the breaks soon came under a critical gaze when broadcasters began using the breaks to air commercials. By simple math, three-minute breaks in each half amount to six minutes per match. Multiplied by 104, the total number of games, that adds up to more than 10 hours of airtime that will almost certainly be used to show advertisements.
