World Cup 2026: Are hydration breaks actually effective?

What started as a way to ensure football players’ physical wellness has turned into a billion dollar global industry in itself.

The 2026 World Cup has introduced hydration breaks: two three-minute breaks within each match where players break off to hydrate and cool down.

The breaks were designed to give players the time to reset and cool off after playing in the summer heat of the three North American countries for more than 20 minutes at a time.

With scientific data debunking the effectiveness of these breaks, more criticism is being levied against FIFA for finding more ways to increase revenue during the tournament.

Stopping the flow

Fans of the sport have criticised FIFA for introducing the breaks as there have been many matches that were stopped at opportune times for teams to score goals.

Not only do these breaks interrupt the flow of the game, but they also interrupt the watching experience for spectators.

Football is known as a sport that is easily captivating. So if a game now consists of three breaks instead of one, audiences are more likely to lose interest or have their attention diverted. 

Do players actually get to cool off?

According to a study done by the Health Research Centre at the University of Sydney, players need to practise targeted cooling in order to feel the benefits of hydration breaks.

Targeted cooling involves the use of ice towels and hydration through cold liquids to regulate the player’s body temperature.

However, this is often not done by the players, meaning that the hydration breaks are rendered ineffective due to incorrect implementation.

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Hydration or ad breaks?

A 30-second advertisement slot on Fox Sports sets an advertiser back anywhere between $200,000 to $300,000. This figure can rise to $750,000 for US and final stage matches.

Of the billion dollars generated globally from hydration ad breaks, the US claims over a quarter of these earnings.

Fox Sports has managed to increase their profits even more through maximising the number of ads broadcasted.

The negative reactions elicited is really a product of how, through trying to please the consumerist broadcasters, the fans become disaffected; the audience that the tournament is ultimately for.

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