When Maradona predicted 2026 drinks breaks: «Four periods for adverts» | OneFootball

The mandatory implementation of hydration breaks in each half of the matches at the 2026 World Cup brought an old statement by Diego Armando Maradona back into the spotlight. On social media, a clip from the program “De la mano del 10”, which he hosted alongside Víctor Hugo Morales during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, went viral, showing the Argentine star criticizing the choice of the North American host and making a prediction about the future of the game.

Just a few hours after FIFA officially named the United States, Mexico, and Canada as the hosts of the current World Cup, Víctor Hugo asked him whether he liked the idea of that joint venue.

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Maradona’s response was blunt: “I don’t like it. Not at all. There’s no passion. Canadians may be good skiers. The Americans wanted to make it four 25-minute periods for advertising. Remember when we used to talk about that? We were supposed to play 100 minutes,” he warned with a laugh, directly linking stoppages in play to commercial interests. In that same appearance, Diego also questioned Mexico’s role, saying that it “doesn’t deserve it” because “they win two matches, then Brazil or Germany comes along and that’s the end of Mexico.”

What hydration breaks are and how they work

Unlike the old “cooling breaks,” which were used only under extreme heat conditions, the FIFA Council’s new regulations establish that all matches must be stopped at the 22nd minute of each half. These breaks last exactly 3 minutes, timed strictly from whistle to whistle.

FIFA made the measure official, arguing that its main objective is to protect the physical well-being of the players. Due to the long travel distances between venues and the climate differences across North America, the stoppages are intended to ensure that players stay properly hydrated in order to prevent injuries and avoid sharp drops in performance.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.