FIFA decides on hydration breaks for future World Cup games after some complaints
Fans have called out FIFA for “lying” about hydration breaks during the World Cup round of 32 match between Mexico and Ecuador.
The game at Estadio Azteca was delayed by an hour due to thunderstorms, pushing kick-off to 8 pm local time. Mexico won 2-0 with goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez. Arsenal defender Piero Hincapie was sent off in stoppage time for covering his mouth in a confrontational way, becoming the second player to be punished under FIFA’s new rule.
Before the delay, FIFA said they would follow safety rules set by local authorities and that the match would start as soon as it was safe. Their official statement also said there would be “no hydration breaks” because of the weather delay. These breaks usually happen halfway through each half, lasting three minutes so players can drink water and coaches can give instructions.
Hydration breaks were introduced to protect players from the heat during North American games. Broadcasters have also made a lot of money from the ad time during these breaks, with Fox reportedly earning a fortune.
But despite their initial statement, FIFA quickly changed course and paused the game twice for hydration breaks, even though the temperature was around 14 degrees with rain. The updated statement no longer mentioned the breaks.
This switch upset many viewers, who were hoping for a match without interruptions. On social media, one fan said, “They said no hydration breaks. They lied lol.” Another wrote, “FIFA: No hydration breaks tonight. Also FIFA: Alright, time for commercials and a hydration break guys.” Others called it “false advertising” and “a lie.”
In past World Cups in 2014 and 2018, hydration breaks were only used when temperatures were very high. But in 2026, every game has had these pauses, making matches feel more like four quarters, similar to basketball or football in the US. The only exception was France’s 3-0 win over Iraq, where the second half had no break due to a weather delay.
Many fans feel the breaks ruin the momentum of the games. The breaks will continue for the remaining 18 matches and, according to City AM, probably won’t go away anytime soon. They say the 2030 World Cup in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco will likely have even hotter weather, and the 2034 tournament in Saudi Arabia is expected to be very warm too. City AM reports that FIFA plans to review hydration breaks after 2026.
Meanwhile, UEFA has said there won’t be any hydration breaks at Euro 2028, which will be hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland.
SPORTbible has reached out to FIFA for comment.