FIFA mandated three-minute hydration breaks at the 22nd and 67th minutes of every World Cup match to help players cope with extreme heat in North America [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The breaks provide a moment of rest during a tournament played over 39 days, where a team may play up to eight matches, said FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who emphasized their purely sporting purpose. "There is no additional revenue for FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance. This is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter," Infantino said [1]. He added that the breaks also ensure all teams play under the same conditions, preventing any coaching advantage based on temperature differences [2].

Coaches and managers can give tactical instructions during the hydration pauses, but the breaks have drawn criticism. England manager Thomas Tuchel said, "The additional break interrupts and changes the identity of the football match" [2]. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said dividing matches into shorter segments "takes away the fundamental characteristic of the game" [2]. Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro also criticized the mandatory breaks, calling them a disruption to football's continuity. "These are more than hydration breaks... Football is continuity and continuity is broken," Alfaro said. He added, "We end up having four quarters instead of two halves" and argued breaks should be optional and used only in extreme heat with team agreement [6, 7].

Some players and coaches back hydration breaks for extreme heat, but question their necessity in cooler or covered stadiums [2, 3, 4, 5]. Although FIFA insists the breaks have not reduced match intensity, critics say they disrupt game flow and momentum [2, 3, 4, 5]. Broadcasters in some countries have used the breaks for extra advertisements, though not in the UK [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Experts estimate U.S. broadcasters could generate over $250 million from hydration break ads [1].

FIFA introduced breaks at every match to ensure fair playing conditions given varied temperatures across host cities [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. FIFA stressed the breaks are not a commercial strategy despite advertising exploitation by broadcasters in some markets [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].

Paraguay faces Australia tomorrow in a key Group D match, seeking its first back-to-back World Cup wins and aiming for the knockout stage [6, 7].