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Published : 16 Jun 2026, 10:20 AM
FIFA's installation of mandatory hydration breaks at every World Cup match hasn't been as controversy-free as the organisation might have hoped. On Monday, Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk offered his honest assessment, and it was less than positive.
"Hydration breaks are interesting," van Dijk said. "Every time going to commercial is a bit ... not really that I like it. I think for the neutral watchers on TV it's also not great."
The practice of mandating water stops for games being played indoors, where temperatures are regulated, has drawn some criticism elsewhere, as has the breaks' usefulness for running advertisements during broadcasts.
van Dijk, a Liverpool defender, was no doubt still stinging from his team's 2-2 draw against Japan on Sunday, when his side twice took leads in the second half but conceded a tying goal each time.
Crysencio Summerville's tally in the 64th minute gave the Dutch a 2-1 advantage a few minutes before the second-half hydration break, after which neither team scored for the next 20 minutes.
That hydration stoppage came despite the game being played in a domed stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Japan eventually tied the score in the 89th minute.
Yet van Dijk, who scored his team's first goal, was careful to acknowledge that improving hydration during hot conditions is a worthwhile endeavor. He just sees the situation as being nuanced.
"If it's really hot, obviously it's good to put (the water breaks) in," he said. "I think you have to look at it in every game separately.
"But I think I've said enough already."
