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For the first time, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has mandated “hydration breaks” midway through each half of the 2026 World Cup matches. World Cup organizers have justified these 3-minute breaks by citing the high temperatures and humidity levels that players will face in Mexico, Canada, and the US during this tournament.
However, this new measure has sparked controversy: Some fear that these stoppages will “disrupt” the rhythm of the players and the game. They see it primarily as a financial move, tied to the sale of additional advertising slots.
Do these breaks have a sound health rationale? Could they prove dangerous? Medscape’s French edition interviewed Emmanuel Orhant, MD, medical director of the French Football Federation (FFF), on these points during the 51st FFF Medical Congress, and his response was unequivocal.
A Higher Overall Risk Index
According to Orhant, these new precautions are important due to “completely unusual” weather conditions. He explains that there is a risk for dehydration linked to sunlight, temperature, humidity, and wind. “However, in the World Cup host countries, all these factors are present. As a result, we have a higher overall risk index than in any other competition we’ve had so far,” he explained.
A study recently published in Sports Medicine estimated that, with regard to heat, conditions are expected to be extreme in 14 of the 16 World Cup host cities, with record-high Wet Bulb Globe Temperature index values ranging from 21 °C to 35 °C, while average ambient temperatures are expected to range from 19.1 °C to 32.7 °C.
Given these conditions, some scientists have even deemed the 3-minute breaks insufficient and recommended extending each break to 6 minutes.
What Are the Health Risks?
When the body is exposed to heat, it activates thermoregulatory mechanisms that allow it to compensate for the rise in temperature through sweating or increased blood flow to the skin via cutaneous vasodilation.
However, these thermoregulatory mechanisms can sometimes become overwhelmed. This can lead to heat exhaustion, cramps, dehydration, heatstroke, or even death.
Physical exertion in extreme heat exposes athletes to hyperthermia, hyponatremia, and dehydration.
“Once fluid loss reaches as much as 2%, it can affect performance, movement, reflexes, and so on. And the higher the risk of dehydration, the greater the risks to muscles and tendons — and even life-threatening and cardiovascular risks,” Orhant warned.
Several methods exist to limit the impact of heat on the body during competitive sports, such as various cooling strategies, acclimatization strategies involving repeated exposure to heat stress, and regular hydration, as recommended by FIFA.
But could regularly interrupting players during a match pose risks? Orhant answers (see the video below).
Do cooling breaks pose a risk?
This story was translated from Medscape’s French edition.
