World Cup 2026: Hydration breaks – who are the winners and losers?

Who are the losers besides the fans who pay for tickets to watch free, entertaining football – only to have the game stopped at half time?

Well, World Cup holders Curacao were in dreamland on Sunday after holding Germany to a 1-1 draw just before the first-half drinks break in Houston.

But the smallest nation to play in the World Cup in terms of size and population was never the same as the game went on and on. He lost 7-1 After the break, the drink allowed the Germans to regroup.

In the first half, the Czech Republic were on top. On South KoreaBut the damp cut brought that period of pressure to an abrupt halt and they lost momentum as the game resumed.

Despite taking the lead, they lost the match 2-1.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands led Japan 2-1 going into the second-half tiebreak in Arlington, Texas on Sunday. They failed to retain. They tied 2-2.

Hydration breaks are not always the cause of these speed changes.

But the further we go into the tournament, the clearer it should be that the cut is becoming a major factor.

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright has made it clear where he stands on the break.

“I think it’s just another way to get ads into it from an American perspective,” he said.

American broadcaster Fox US Too many ads, External During the water break in the opening game of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa.

“They took advantage of the fact that it was for the players but not for me,” Wright added.

While the breaks have their detractors, there are others who believe they are a positive introduction.

“I’m always interested in the health of my players,” Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said ahead of Monday’s (17:00 BST) opener against Cape Verde.

That match will take place in Atlanta, where the venue has a retractable roof and is temperature controlled.

“It’s going to be cold in the stadium tomorrow,” De La Finte added on Sunday.

“We’ve seen great temperatures this week. It’s very difficult to be exposed to these temperatures for long periods of time when you’re working.

“In my opinion, the best thing is to drink a lot of water, take a break, let yourself breathe for a few seconds.

“Monday (Monday) will not be so hot, but we have to allow them a minute or two to breathe and give a couple of directions.”