KHALID HOSSAIN

Football has long been celebrated as a game of two halves. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, however, it increasingly resembles a contest played in four quarters. What was introduced as a medical precaution has mutated into a tactical tool and, more overtly, a lucrative broadcasting asset.

Mandatory three-minute hydration breaks, introduced by FIFA to combat summer heat across North America, now take place around the 22nd minute of each half and have become one of the tournament’s most contentious talking points.

The latest voice to question the policy is Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk.

Following his side’s 2-2 draw with Japan at Dallas’ air-conditioned stadium on Monday (Bangladesh time), the Liverpool defender questioned the need for mandatory breaks in every match, regardless of conditions.

“I think hydration breaks are really interesting. I think for the neutral watchers on TV it is also not great. If it is really hot it would be good to put them in, but I think you have to look at it in every game separately,” Van Dijk told reporters.

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