Experience from the Club World Cup
Fifa is introducing special innovations at the World Cup
12/9/2025 – 7:16 a.mReading time: 1 min.
At the 2025 Club World Cup, the referees have already ordered numerous drinking breaks for the players. They will be an integral part of every game at the 2026 World Cup.
There will be an innovation at the 2026 World Cup that will affect all games: There will be scheduled drinking breaks in each of the 104 games. The world association FIFA announced this on Monday.
Accordingly, the referees will stop each half in the middle for three minutes so that the players can drink fluids. These breaks apply regardless of the weather or temperature – this means all teams can play under the same conditions. The tournament venues are the USA, Canada and Mexico.
There had already been drinking breaks in numerous games at the 2025 Club World Cup in the USA due to the heat. At that time, these were only introduced depending on the temperatures – and therefore not in every game.
“Regardless of the stadium, any roof and the temperatures,” there will now be drinking breaks, said FIFA tournament director Manolo Zubiria. “In both halves they last exactly three minutes as soon as the referee blows his whistle.”
The plan is to take a break after every 22 minutes of play. However, Zubiria hinted at a certain degree of flexibility in the regulation. “If the game has to be stopped in the 20th or 21st minute due to an injury, this will of course be discussed with the referee.”
The international players’ union FIFPro had also called for the half-time break to be extended to 20 minutes due to the expected heat. However, FIFA did not comment on this in its announcement on Monday.