UEFA is not intending to make mandatory hydration breaks part of Euro 2028, with the practice at the 2026 World Cup increasingly criticized.
On the face of it, hydration breaks make a lot of sense to keep players safe during the intense heat of the North American summer. But the three-minute pause in play midway through each half, effectively breaking a two-half soccer match into four quarters, has invited additional advertising into a World Cup already perceived to be more about revenue and profit than sporting endeavor.
