World Cup in Four Rounds: Hydration Break Divides Players, Coaches and Health Experts

MIAMI - When FIFA decided to require hydration breaks in every 2026 World Cup match, the goal seemed simple: protect players from the threat of extreme temperatures that are expected to be one of the biggest challenges of the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

However, several days after the competition took place, the policy actually gave birth to a debate that was no less heated than the weather on the field.

For some players, hydration breaks are considered to disrupt the rhythm of the game and the experience of watching football. For coaches, the break is a golden opportunity to change the course of the game through additional tactical instructions. While for sports scientists, the three minutes given by FIFA are still too short to really protect players from the risk of health due to heat.

The debate points to a new reality: in the era of climate change, football is being forced to adapt to challenges it has never faced before.

Under FIFA's rules, matches are stopped around the 22nd minute of each half to give players a chance to drink and cool down. With the two stops, matches that have been played for more than a century in two halves now feel like they are divided into four segments.

For the Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, the change has consequences that cannot be ignored. "I think the hydration break is quite interesting. I watch almost all the matches and every time the broadcast switches to an ad, it's not something I like," said Van Dijk.

According to the Liverpool defender, the implementation of an automatic drinking break in every match is not always necessary. He assessed that FIFA should consider the weather conditions of each match.

"I think for neutral viewers on television it's not too good either. If the weather is really hot, of course it's good to do. But I think every match should be seen separately," he said.

Van Dijk's comments illustrate concerns that are beginning to emerge among players and fans. For decades, football has distinguished itself from other sports by its continuous flow of play. Unlike basketball or American football, which are full of time-outs, football offers a relatively uninterrupted rhythm. The hydration break changes that character.

Every stoppage in the game has the potential to affect momentum. A team that is pressing can lose intensity. On the other hand, a team that is under pressure gets a chance to breathe and reorganize strategies.

Belgian midfielder Youri Tielemans understands the reason FIFA implemented the rule, but he also sees a problem of consistency. "As a player, this can be seen from two sides. In some cities it's not really hot and maybe we don't need to do it," he said.

However, he admitted that FIFA was faced with a dilemma about the fairness of the competition. "In the end, if it is applied in several cities, it must be applied to all teams to be fair."

Tielemans' argument reflects the unique problems faced by the 2026 World Cup. The tournament takes place in three countries with 16 host cities that have very diverse weather conditions. The temperature in the roofed stadium or a city with a cool climate is certainly different from the daytime matches in the southern United States or Mexico.

That is why FIFA chose a universal approach. All matches get the same treatment, regardless of temperature differences. If the players are still debating the benefits, the coaches are enthusiastic about the rules.

Useful for Trainers

Belgium coach Rudi Garcia even openly admitted that the hydration break was more useful as an opportunity to give instructions than just a drinking time. "For me, this is more of a coaching break than a cooling break, so it's very important," said Garcia.

According to him, the pause allows the coach to make tactical corrections that could only be done during halftime. "If the team is in a good flow of the game, this might be disturbing. But in the two trial matches we have run, this pause is very interesting because we can give tactical information to the team."

Garcia assessed that the strategic benefits were too great to ignore. "For me this is a very good thing. The weather can be very hot and therefore hydration breaks will always be important," he explained.

A similar view came from France coach Didier Deschamps. The former world champion captain saw the new rules as a reality that modern football had to accept.

Hydration breaks, he said, provide additional opportunities for coaches to speak directly to players and make strategy adjustments during the match.

"We can make some adjustments before the game starts again," Deschamps said. "Basically now we have four quarters in the game. Coaches have to adapt to this new reality."

Deschamps' statement may be the most accurate description of the changes taking place. Formally, football is still played in two halves. But in practice, the match now has four phases, each of which the coach can use to change the direction of the game.

Behind the tactical debate, medical circles see a much more serious issue. For them, hydration breaks are not about strategy or television commercials, but about player safety.

Less Than

Douglas Casa, CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute in the United States, is one of the most vocal experts on the dangers of extreme heat in sports. Ironically, he judged that FIFA had not done enough.

"Hydration breaks in each round must absolutely be longer than three minutes. At least five minutes for each break, and ideally six minutes," said Casa.

According to various studies of exercise physiology, the body of athletes who are active at high intensity in a hot environment takes longer to effectively lower the core body temperature. Three minutes may be enough to drink, but it is not necessarily enough to reduce the heat stress experienced by the body organs.

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that even mild dehydration can reduce the cognitive ability, concentration, motor coordination, and aerobic performance of athletes. Meanwhile, a study published in Sports Medicine found that heat stress increases neuromuscular fatigue and the risk of muscle injury.

The threat is becoming more relevant as the 2026 World Cup takes place when the world is facing a trend of rising temperatures due to climate change.

Mike Tipton from the Extreme Environments Laboratory, University of Portsmouth, warned that a number of World Cup venues could potentially face conditions that fall into the high-risk category.

"In the current conditions, and partly influenced by the increase in environmental heat stress due to climate change, some 2026 World Cup venues are likely to exceed the recommended high heat risk threshold, especially for matches played in the afternoon," he said.

The reminder shows that the debate over hydration breaks is not just about player comfort or the quality of the spectacle. Football is facing real consequences from global climate change.

On the one hand, the players want to maintain the natural rhythm of the game. On the other hand, the coach sees unprecedented strategic opportunities. While scientists warn that the threat of extreme heat can become a serious health problem.

Because of this, hydration breaks may only seem like a three-minute pause in the middle of a game. But in fact, it reflects a much bigger question: how does football maintain its identity when environmental conditions force it to change.

The 2026 World Cup may be only a few days away. But one thing is clear. The debate over the hydration break will likely continue long after the trophy is lifted next summer.