- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- World Cup
- Betting
- SN 140
- Archive
- NFL
- NBA
- MLB
- NHL
- Soccer
- NCAAF
- NCAAMB
- NCAAWB
- WNBA
- Boxing
- MMA
- WWE
- F1
- NASCAR
- Golf
- Tennis
- College
- High School
- Darts
- Horse Racing
- Olympics
- More Sports
- Fantasy
- Betting
- Prediction Markets
- Watch
- The Scene
- Tickets
- Stadium Guides
- United States [English]
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brasil
- Canada
- India
- 日本
- México
- 대한민국
- España
- ไทย
- United Kingdom
- United States [Español]
- Việt Nam
- About Us
- Careers
- Privacy Preferences
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Cookie Policy
Hydration breaks have gotten a lot of attention at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The breaks, mandatory for each game in the middle of each half, have almost made it seem like these matches are played in quarters and not halves.
That won't be the case on Tuesday night when Mexico plays Ecuador.
FIFA announced there will be no hydration breaks at the Azteca.
The game was delayed an hour for weather before kickoff (lightning), and FIFA has made this call for the first time in the entire tournament.
UPDATE: Despite the announcement, they're still taking a hydration break in the first half.
MORE: The greatest goal in Canada men's soccer history
Why are there no hydration breaks in Mexico-Ecuador?
FIFA seems to have equated the pregame delay to something that should axe the hydration breaks.
They didn't spell it out in their announcement quite like that, but that's the implication.
Yes, a bunch of time has been lost on this night, so that would make as much sense as anything.
Thunderstorms in Mexico City led to pre-match warm-ups being put on hold and FIFA have confirmed that the game will start an hour later than planned.
FIFA have also announced that there will be no hydration breaks during the match.https://t.co/Ip7RAcoh81— Felipe Cárdenas (@FelipeCar) July 1, 2026
MORE: Portugal's usage of Cristiano Ronaldo makes no sense
The one reasonable concern: This makes this particular match played in a different fashion than every other one in the tournament.
That's why they wanted the breaks in every match to begin with, for consistency. This choice ruins the consistency.
Fans will wait to see how it impacts things.
More FIFA World Cup news:
- USA, England can meet on the biggest World Cup stage
- Why Norway brought 600 pounds of salmon to the World Cup
- Eloy Room leads Curacao to astounding World Cup history
- With Messi, history and magic go hand in hand
- Why Doue brothers play for two different countries at World Cup
Billy Heyen
Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who spent his senior year following Jim Boeheim's basketball team around the country. His reporting work has also included extensive high school sports coverage at the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. Adventures in sports writing have also led to in-person coverage of the Buffalo Sabres, Cleveland Guardians, U.S. men's national soccer team and a variety of minor league baseball stories. When people ask if he's seen a movie, the answer is usually "No, I was probably watching sports." Even away from sports, his main hobby is running (much slower than any athlete in these pages).
Source: Sporting News
