The 2026 World Cup is supposed to be the biggest edition of the tournament ever, with 104 matches spread across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
On December 7, 2025, FIFA announced that every single match at the tournament will feature mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in each half, scheduled around the 22nd and 67th minutes. Every match. Regardless of weather. Regardless of whether the stadium has a roof. A game played at 55 degrees Fahrenheit in a climate-controlled dome in Toronto gets the same treatment as a sweltering afternoon fixture in Guadalajara.
The flow problem
Mauricio Pochettino, never one to mince words, has voiced concerns about the breaks disrupting match enjoyment. Virgil van Dijk has echoed similar frustrations about what the stoppages do to game rhythm. These aren’t fringe voices. Pochettino coaches the US national team. Van Dijk is one of the most decorated defenders of his generation.
Football has used cooling breaks before, but historically they’ve been triggered by specific heat thresholds. The new approach removes that discretion entirely. Referees don’t decide. Weather data doesn’t decide. The clock decides.
