What is the Hydration Break?
- therookiereporters
- 2 hours ago
- 1 min read
The hydration break is a new rule which was added for the 2026 FIFA World Cup which is being co-hosted by Canada, the USA and Mexico.
For the first time ever, FIFA introduced three-minute breaks called the “Hydration Break.”
The breaks were initially introduced during the 2014 World Cup and were only implemented for matches with temperatures above 32°C. Since their introduction, they have been used several times, but this year's World Cup is the first time they have been implemented into every game with one in the middle of the first half at 22 minutes, and one in the second half at 67 minutes.
With the tournament being hosted across the 3 different countries; Canada, the USA and Mexico, some of these cities can experience extreme heat making these breaks a necessity. FIFA made the decision to implement a mandatory hydration break in both halves of every match to have each match played in fair conditions.
Fans have expressed their dislike towards the hydration breaks as it has been shown to disrupt the flow of the games and can obstruct the momentum carried by the teams beforehand.
Article written by Sophie W
