FIFA will allow broadcasters to cut away to advertisements during the “hydration breaks” that will split up each half of every 2026 World Cup match, multiple people briefed on the guidelines or with direct knowledge of them told The Athletic.
Soccer’s global governing body announced in December that it would introduce a three-minute break midway through each 45-minute half at the World Cup. It promoted the breaks as a “player welfare” measure, but said there’d be “no weather or temperature condition in place, with the breaks being called by the referee in all games.”
FIFA officials also discussed the change with broadcast executives, and three sources, including one at FIFA, have now confirmed to The Athletic that broadcasters will be permitted to flip away from the match feed to show commercials, as they would during halftime or a timeout in basketball or American football.
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🚨🚨💣 EXCLUSIVE: Florian Wirtz to Liverpool, HERE WE GO!
Liverpool verbally agree deal in principle with Bayer Leverkusen for package reaching €150m add-ons included.
Player side already agreed two weeks ago with move now imminent.
Wirtz set for medical and contract signing.