Future of hydration breaks undecided – FIFA’s Arsène Wenger

Hydration breaks introduced at the FIFA World Cup 2026 were designed to provide players support during matches without disrupting game flow. Arsène Wenger, FIFA’s global football development chief, remarked that these three-minute breaks did not influence match outcomes but their future remains uncertain.

Mandated for each game, these breaks have not yet been widely adopted in soccer. However, they are expected to be a significant point of discussion in upcoming media rights negotiations, as broadcasters might see them as ideal for commercial breaks.

Fox, the U.S. broadcaster for the tournament, reportedly anticipates generating over $250 million from advertisements during these hydration breaks, highlighting their potential financial benefits.

Wenger confirmed that a thorough evaluation of the breaks will occur post-World Cup due to mixed reactions from fans and players. “Sometimes people didn’t like it. We need to assess the impact after the tournament,” Wenger stated at a news conference. He noted that while the breaks did not seem to alter competition results, they aim to cater to fans watching the sport.

Some matches saw significant need for hydration breaks, especially in the summer heat of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Nevertheless, FIFA mandated these pauses regardless of weather conditions, which generated criticism from fans and former players alike. Despite concerns, all matches, even those held indoors in cities like Atlanta and Dallas, observed hydration breaks to maintain consistency.

Coaches have leveraged these hydration breaks as tactical timeouts to convey instructions to players. FIFA first implemented cooling breaks at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil in response to high temperatures and has since set rules for breaks based on weather conditions or referee’s discretion in most leagues worldwide.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.