World Cup Matches Get Americanized With Addition Of Mandatory Protocol
Mandatory water breaks for everyone!
With the 2026 World Cup coming to North America and the majority of the games being hosted in the United States, it's only right that the event gets Americanized.
Given that the tournament will run from June 11–July 19, temperatures in most host cities will be scorching. Therefore, FIFA announced earlier this week that every match during the World Cup will feature three-minute hydration breaks in each half.
Regardless of weather conditions, each match will pause 22 minutes into each half for players to take drinks. These breaks will essentially turn matches into four quarters, which is something we Americans are more used to in other sports.
The game clock will not be stopped for the mandatory hydration breaks, but instead added on in stoppage time of each half. The three-minute breaks will also allow the broadcast to add more commercials into the fold, when otherwise full commercials would only typically run during halftime.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino arrives on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw (Brian Snyder-Reuters via Imagn Images)
FIFA say it is "a streamlined and simplified version of the breaks used at some previous tournaments, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025."
Mexico City Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami are presumed to be the warmest stops during the 2026 World Cup. Covered stadiums such as AT&T Stadium in Texas and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will, of course, be temperature-controlled, but to make all things fair, matches played inside those buildings will also include mandatory water breaks.
While one might argue that the best, most fit soccer players from nations around the world should be able to compete for two 45-minute halves without stoppages for water, temperatures could reach over 100 degrees in certain cities.