Why FIFA Canceled the Hydration Break During a World Cup Match

FIFA made an unprecedented exception to one of its most visible World Cup 2026 rules during France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq in Philadelphia. For the first time in the tournament, an entire half was played without the scheduled hydration pause.

The break was not removed because FIFA had abandoned its player-welfare policy. An extraordinary storm delay had already kept both teams off the pitch far longer than planned, while the conditions after the restart were completely different from those at kick-off.