Hydration breaks in an indoor stadium? An England forward says it’s valid
In a 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage match, England players took the pitch in front of 70,389 fans at AT&T Stadium en route to 4-2 victory over Croatia on Wednesday.
For the most part, the Croatia and England fans were a happy, cheerful bunch, sporting their teams colors, chanting happy tunes and enjoying the unique experience. But in the match’s two mandatory hydration breaks, loud boos rained down from the stands.
AT&T Stadium has a retractable roof and air conditioning, yet it still uses the breaks, which FIFA implemented to combat the elements in Mexico, Canada and the United States during the 2026 World Cup. While the 92 degree Texas heat can pack a punch outside, the climate-controlled indoor stadium is approximately 74 degrees.
“It was quite cool, which is good for us, I think,” England’s Morgan Rogers said. “It’s not as hot as other stadiums are going to be, so I really liked it.”
Even though he said it’s cool on the pitch compared to a place like outdoor Wembley Stadium, he added that it’s hotter than most fans think because of the humidity.
“The hydration break definitely helped us kind of regroup and refocus and go again,” Rogers said. “I’m a fan of them.”
Virgil van Dijk, captain Netherlands’ squad, spoke out against the breaks Sunday following a 2-2 draw against Japan.
“I think hydration breaks are really interesting,” said van Dijk, “because I was obviously watching almost all the games up until today. Every time, going to commercial is a bit — not really that I like it. I think for the neutral watching on TV, it’s also not great. So, if it’s really hot, obviously it would be good to put them in, but I think you have to look at it every game, separately, in my opinion.”
Beyond hydration
According to Yahoo Sports, Fox spent $485 million to acquire the rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup.
The hydration breaks boost their return on the investment. According to the Wall Street Journal, Fox was selling 30-second ad breaks for roughly $200,000 and up to $750,000 for more high profile games. With two hydration breaks that include four ad breaks per match, it can be estimated that Fox will make well over $200 million during hydration break advertisements during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Fans voice their frustration
Judging by the boos, a good amount of spectators in attendance held a different opinion than Rogers. One of those fans was England supporter Sebastian Oldfield.
“They killed the momentum [of the game] a little bit,” Sebastian Oldfield said. “When you’re winning the game, you don’t want the other team getting their flow back. ... I think the players who aren’t fit enough need [the hydration break] but the players who are ready ... you’ll play the game no matter what. It doesn’t matter if its hot or cold.”
Normally, soccer is played in two continuous halves; the breaks have caused some people to say soccer is now played in four quarters.
Sebastian’s mother, Joan Oldfield, agreed with him, saying football is “about the flow.”
“They do not need hydration breaks in an air-conditioned stadium,” Joan Oldfield said. “ ... If it was outdoors, you would need a hydration break.”
It’s also causing frustration for fans at home. On top of the added commercials, the breaks have also caused Fox to briefly miss airing live action, according to Tom Bogert of The Athletic.
Disdain for hydration breaks isn’t unique to AT&T Stadium, too. Fans at Ghana and Panama’s match at Toronto Stadium, an outdoor venue, also booed the pause in play.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 7:26 PM.
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