Overview
- Referees will pause play around the 22nd minute of each half for a three-minute refreshment break.
- The stoppage is mandatory in all 104 fixtures regardless of temperature, stadium design, or roof status.
- Officials may align the pause with an injury stoppage in the 20th or 21st minute at their discretion.
- FIFA describes the measure as a simplified, standardized procedure informed by the 2025 Club World Cup in the U.S.
- The players’ union FIFPro requested a 20-minute halftime, a proposal not addressed in FIFA’s announcement.