{"id":4106,"date":"2026-06-17T14:39:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=4106"},"modified":"2026-06-17T14:39:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-17T14:39:38","slug":"fifa-hydration-breaks-spark-backlash-and-blamed-for-killing-momentum-at-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=4106","title":{"rendered":"FIFA hydration breaks spark backlash and blamed for killing momentum at World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Uruguay\u2019s Agustin Canobbio cools off during a hydration break in a World Cup Group H soccer match against Saudi Arabia in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

ATLANTA \u2014 Cura\u00e7ao fans went wild<\/a> . The Germans were in shock.<\/p>\n

Livano Comenencia had scored a goal for the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for the World Cup<\/a> against four-time champion Germany.<\/p>

Read more World Cup what to know: Ronaldo looks to make history by scoring in 6th World Cup<\/a><\/p>\n

At 1-1 in Houston a famous upset looked possible.<\/p>\n

Then came the hydration break<\/a> .<\/p>\n

Cura\u00e7ao lost the initiative, conceding two goals before halftime in what eventually became a 7-1<\/a> defeat to the Germans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually felt sorry for them,\u201d former England striker Alan Shearer told The Rest is Football podcast. \u201cThey scored and then it was maybe 30 seconds after that it stopped. So it\u2019s killed their momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

FIFA\u2019s new hydration breaks midway through each half \u2014 a novelty for this World Cup \u2014 were introduced to help players deal with the summer heat<\/a> in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But critics say they\u2019re having unintended consequences, ruining the flow of the game and giving coaches a chance to tactically shift momentum in their team\u2019s favor.<\/p>\n

While player welfare is a real concern with temperatures expected to exceed 90 F (32 C) in the hottest World Cup venues, some say the hydration breaks are just an excuse for broadcasters to go to commercials in the middle of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in America, right? So, it\u2019s like it is a timeout,\u201d former Ireland international Roy Keane said on The Overlap, a podcast that he co-hosts with long-time Manchester United teammate Gary Neville. \u201cWe love football because of the pace of the game … what it\u2019s doing is stopping the flow of the game, the momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than players merely taking on fluids, coaches have been seizing the opportunity to pass on in-game tactical instructions that would normally not be possible. And early indications are that it is having an effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can use the break to tell the players what they need to improve or what is good or what they should do better,\u201d Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said. \u201cSo you can use it in different ways to your advantage, and this is what we will be doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In eight of the first 16 games there were goals scored within 10 minutes of the rehydration break.<\/p>\n

Cura\u00e7ao never recovered after the restart against Germany.<\/p>\n

Morocco paid the price against Brazil<\/a> in New Jersey, having dominated the game from the start and scored just before the first break. Less that 10 minutes after play resumed the game was level with Vinicius Junior equalizing.<\/p>\n

Canada, the U.S., Australia, Scotland, Sweden and Iran have all benefited with goals soon after the break.<\/p>\n

Momentum maps have shown how games have shifted after the new stoppages in play.<\/p>\n

The hydration breaks also affect the experience of fans watching at stadiums. There were boos from the crowd for the first one in the game Tuesday between Iraq and Norway in Foxborough, Massachusetts.<\/p>\n

Referees pause the games 22 minutes into each half, with players given three minutes to rehydrate.<\/p>\n

FIFA stipulated that the breaks would occur regardless of the weather, venue or location, meaning the Spain vs. Cape Verde match in Atlanta on Monday was interrupted despite being under a roof and in an air conditioned stadium.<\/p>

Read more US Open host Shinnecock shares a complicated past with golf and American history<\/a><\/p>\n

The governing body said it was to \u201censure equal conditions for all teams, in all matches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the breaks make sense in \u201cextreme\u201d heat conditions but questioned whether they were necessary at every match.<\/p>\n

\u201cPause, freshen up and continue. Tomorrow, when the temperature that we\u2019ll have in this stadium is chill, maybe these breaks are not so needed, but we need to abide by the rules,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Norway coach Staale Solbakken agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can understand it when it\u2019s like it\u2019s been in Greensboro (North Carolina), when it\u2019s been 35 degrees (95 Fahrenheit) and a really hot climate and there\u2019s a bit vibration in the air \u2013 then I think it\u2019s fine. But I don\u2019t like it otherwise. I think it\u2019s unnecessary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Aside from the sporting impact on games, the stoppages have been criticized for damaging the spectacle for fans, with broadcasters using the opportunity to take commercial breaks.<\/p>\n

In the United States, Fox immediately goes to commercials during the hydration breaks. Telemundo, a Spanish-language U.S. broadcaster, does not.<\/p>\n

Unlike in U.S. professional sports like baseball, basketball and football, commercial breaks have not been a common feature in soccer except during the half-time break.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time going to a commercial is a bit … not really (something) that I like,\u201d said Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk, who watched World Cup games on TV before the Dutch began their campaign with a 2-2 draw against Japan. \u201cI think for the neutral watchers on TV it\u2019s also not great.\u201d<\/p>\n

France coach Didier Deschamps, however, said this is the changing face of soccer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not two half times, it is four quarter times basically that we\u2019ve got. This is what\u2019s been decided and so the players and the coaches adapt to this new reality,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It is not known if FIFA will implement hydration breaks at all future World Cups, but the English Football Association said it was unlikely to be in place for the European Championship, hosted by the U.K. and Ireland in 2028.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP Sports Writers Kyle Hightower in Foxborough, Massachusetts; Ron Blum in New York, Maura Carey in Atlanta and Stephen Hawkins in Dallas contributed to this report.<\/p>

Read more Trump plan would fence park near White House long used by tourists, protesters<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

James Robson is at https:\/\/x.com\/jamesalanrobson<\/a><\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

AP World Cup coverage: https:\/\/apnews.com\/fifa-world-cup<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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