Overview
- FIFA introduced mandatory three‑minute hydration breaks at about the 22nd and 67th minute of every match and continues to apply them across all venues during the 2026 World Cup.
- This week Gianni Infantino publicly defended the rule as driven by heat, player welfare and equal conditions for all teams and denied the breaks generate extra revenue for FIFA.
- Independent media calculations have valued the 208 new broadcast windows created by the pauses at roughly $624 million to $5 billion in potential ad inventory, increasing scrutiny of how broadcasters use the stoppages.
- Coaches, players and many fans say the pauses break football’s traditional two‑half flow, have been used for tactical adjustments and have coincided with momentum shifts and goals immediately after breaks.
- The Confederation of European Trade Unions has urged governments to require hydration breaks for workers, and FIFA says it will evaluate whether to keep the timed pauses after the tournament ends.