FIFA has introduced mandatory three-minute water breaks in every match at the 2026 World Cup, with the pauses set at the 22nd and 67th minutes. The rule applies everywhere, even in climate-controlled stadiums such as those in Dallas and Houston, and FIFA tournament director Manolo Zubiria said each game will have a break “no matter where it is played, no matter if there is a roof or what the temperature is.”
The change, prompted by hot weather in the United States, has triggered criticism that football is borrowing too heavily from the American sports model. Opponents, especially in Britain, say health concerns are being used to justify live advertising breaks similar to the NFL. That worry materialized in the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Estadio Azteca, when FOX Sports cut to commercials during the stoppage and returned 15 seconds late, missing the first attacking move of South Africa.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said he dislikes the interruptions and the advertising, though he acknowledged they make sense in real heat. “I think these water breaks are a very interesting issue,” he said after his team played in air-conditioned Dallas, adding that every game should be judged individually. He then said, “I think I’ve already said enough.”
Coaches have taken a more pragmatic view. Didier Deschamps of France said the breaks let him bring players close and correct things based on the first 22 or 23 minutes, while Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil used the pause in its match against Morocco to make an adjustment that helped lead to Vinicius Junior’s equalizer six minutes after play resumed. Belgium coach Rudi Garcia called it a “Coaching Break” and said the extra time is useful for tactical information. The article says the new rule could permanently reshape football by inserting tactics, television, money and American culture into a game that has long prided itself on never stopping.
