Oman today_ FIFA has announced that a new mandatory rule will be introduced at the 2026 World Cup. Each half of every match will include a fixed three minute break for players to hydrate and recover. The stoppage will take place around minute 22 of each half and will apply to all matches regardless of temperature, stadium conditions or the host country. FIFA says the decision is meant to protect player health while also helping broadcasters maintain a more predictable match schedule. The proposal was first discussed in a meeting between Manolo Zubiria, the head of World Cup 2026 competitions, and major television networks.
Although the timing is set, referees will have limited flexibility when applying the rule. If play is already paused due to an injury shortly before minute 22, the referee may use that same pause as the hydration break. FIFA explains that this new approach is a simplified version of the previous regulations, which only required hydration breaks when temperatures exceeded 32 degrees Celsius. The experience of the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, where heat and humidity affected player performance, played a major role in prompting this change. During that tournament FIFA had to lower the temperature threshold and provide additional cooling resources around the pitch.
FIFA notes that heat has long been a challenge in major football tournaments. Before the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, a court ruling even forced FIFA to make hydration breaks mandatory. With the new policy in place, the three minute break will become a standard part of every match at the 2026 World Cup, ensuring that player safety is no longer dependent on weather or geographical conditions.