FIFA makes huge claim about hydration breaks at 2026 World Cup as frustrated fans boo them
Mia Williams
Featured Image Credit: Marvin Ibo Guengoer - GES Sportfoto/Getty Images
FIFA have made a shocking claim about the revenue made during hydration breaks throughout the 2026 World Cup as fans grow increasingly frustrated.
Crowds who gathered at the Boston Stadium, Massachusetts, yesterday evening (June 23) to watch England vs Ghana, were vocal about their disapprovement of FIFA's newly-introduced hydration breaks during each half of the game.
Players are able to stop for six minutes in total throughout the match, as temperatures across the US, Canada and Mexico, continue to soar during the tournament.
The breaks have received a largely negative reaction from coaches and fans, including England's manager Thomas Tuchel who has claimed they make it harder for players to 'build momentum'.
Advert
Many spectators inside the stadium have booed when the break has been signalled for by the referee, and FIFA have now made a wild claim about how much revenue they make during the short pause.
While British broadcasters ITV and BBC cut away to match analysis, television broadcasters in several other countries have instead shown adverts throughout the entire break.
And according to the BBC, experts suggest that an average 30-second World Cup advertising slot on American broadcaster Fox Sports would cost between $200,000 and $300,000.
Despite these figures, FIFA have stated they make 'no additional revenue' during the hydration breaks.
In a statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: "This is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter.
"The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important."
He added: "We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone and that’s why these breaks are implemented in every match."
The figures for the advertising slots reported by the BBC rise to $750,000 during USA matches and the final stages, meaning hydration breaks are likely to generate more than $250m for American broadcasters alone.
This year, there’s been a whole host of rule changes, many of which are designed to speed up the game and penalize players who drag things out. Some of the new regulations are likely to prove controversial.
Subbed players now have to get a move on and leave the pitch within ten seconds by the nearest exit point. If they haven’t, their replacement will get held up by one minute until the next stoppage of play, and until then, their side will have to play with 10 men.
If a referee thinks a player is taking too long for a throw-in or goal kick, they’ll start a five-second countdown, by which time the ball needs to be back in play. If it’s not, for throw-ins the opposing team will get their own throw-in, or for a goal kick the other side gets a corner.
An injured player treated by medical staff off-field has to stay off the pitch for one minute, leaving their side with just 10 players.
VAR can now be used to review an incorrectly awarded corner kick; second yellow cards resulting in a red card; when a player is incorrectly awarded a yellow or red card for another player’s actions; and any attacking fouls that occur before the ball is in play.
Players who cover their mouths in confrontational situations will be handed a red card. It’s believed players might cover their mouths to guard against lip readers while racially abusing other players, which some suspect has happened in the past.
Any player who leaves the pitch in protest over a referee’s decision will be handed a red card, and if a team walks off and causes a match to be abandoned, they’ll forfeit the game.