Every 2026 World Cup game will pause for three-minute “hydration breaks” in each half, FIFA has announced.
The new measure has been introduced to “prioritise player welfare,” amid expectations of high temperatures at next summer’s expanded tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It will see every game — regardless of weather conditions — paused at the 22-minute mark, effectively turning the match into a four-quarter affair.
The decision was made after consultation with coaches and broadcasters.
FIFA say it is “a streamlined and simplified version of the breaks used at some previous tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.” At last summer’s Club World Cup, water breaks were used, but only in games in extreme heat.
Some games at that tournament topped 100 degrees fahrenheit (38 degrees celsius).
“I don’t think I have ever played in such heat,” Benfica forward Andreas Schjelderup said after playing against Bayern Munich. “I don’t think it’s healthy, to be honest, but I managed to get through it.”
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Chelsea‘s Enzo Fernández added later in the tournament: “The other day I got a bit dizzy during a play. I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy.
“Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous.”
The full schedule for the World Cup was confirmed on Saturday.
