Arabic version: المشجعون يعبرون عن استيائهم من فترات الترطيب في كأس العالم 2026

According to BBC News,

England may have made the ideal start to their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory against Croatia on Wednesday but there were still boos during the match. They weren’t directed at the players or the officials. Instead, they were targeted at a controversial addition to games for this tournament – hydration breaks.

There are two pauses per game – one in the middle of each half, each for three minutes – and they were introduced to help players deal with the summer heat in North America. While they have been welcomed by some national team bosses, the fans seem less keen and both England and Croatia supporters united in the air-conditioned Dallas Stadium to jeer the break in play on Wednesday. The main source of criticism for their addition is that they are viewed as additional financial revenue, with broadcasters utilising the breaks to show more adverts. “The hydration breaks are obviously for one purpose and that’s big money for advertisements,” said one England fan after the game.

The discontent was not unique to the England-Croatia match. Earlier games, including Norway’s match against Iraq in Boston and Sweden’s clash with Tunisia, also saw fans booing during hydration breaks, even in air-conditioned venues. Critics argue that these breaks disrupt the flow of the game. “It is like the Americanisation of football here,” one fan commented.

Despite the backlash from supporters, players and coaches recognize the potential benefits of hydration breaks. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford noted their importance for acclimatization, especially with tougher fixtures ahead. “It is good practice to have them to prepare for New York and Boston,” he stated.

While the future of hydration breaks at the World Cup remains uncertain, their implementation has sparked a debate about the evolving nature of football. Some fans fear that these breaks could become a permanent fixture, fundamentally altering the game’s traditional structure. “I hope it doesn’t become part and parcel of the English game because it will totally ruin it,” one supporter expressed after the match.