Fans boo, players adapt - the view on World Cup hydration breaks

England may have made the ideal start to their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 4-2 victory against Croatia on Wednesday but there were still boos during the match.

They weren't directed at the players or the officials. Instead, they were targeted at a controversial addition to games for this tournament - hydration breaks.

There are two pauses per game - one in the middle of each half, each for three minutes - and they were introduced to help players deal with the summer heat in North America.

While they have been welcomed by some national team bosses, the fans seem less keen and both England and Croatia supporters united in the air-conditioned Dallas Stadium to jeer the break in play on Wednesday.

The main source of criticism for their addition is that they are viewed as additional financial revenue, with broadcasters utilising the breaks to show more adverts.

"The hydration breaks are obviously for one purpose and that's big money for advertisements," said one England fan after the game.

"In this stadium, I don't think they were needed but in another with no air conditioning and you are playing in 90 degrees plus, they are absolutely essential."

Another Three Lions supporter added: "Yes, if you are outside you need a hydration break, I get that. But you are in an air conditioned stadium - you don't need one.

"It stops the flow. Football is about the flow and there's no need to stop the flow in an air-conditioned stadium."

'It is the Americanisation of football here'

This was not the first game where boos have been at the hydration break, and the wave of dislike for them among fans appears to be gathering momentum.

On Tuesday, during Norway's match against Iraq in Boston, the pause in play was greeted by boos from the crowd, with the temperature a more than manageable 23C at the time.

It was goalless just before the break but Iraq conceded four minutes after play resumed, and went on to lose 4-1.

There were loud boos for the pause during Sweden's 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia on Monday and Spain's goalless draw with Cape Verde on the same day, with that game played in the air-conditioned Atlanta Stadium.

And after England's win against Croatia, the first hydration break during the match between Ghana and Panama was also greeted by jeers.

The hydration breaks have effectively turned games into four quarters rather than two halves, a concern for some of those England supporters who booed the break.

"It is like the Americanisation of football here," said one.

"It is turning the game into quarters and I don't love it. I get why people were booing and I was one of them."