For those Celtic supporters tuning into this summer’s World Cup, they would have seen a common theme throughout – and that’s ‘hydration breaks.’
The game is paused 20 to 25 minutes into each half for a three-minute period, allowing players and officials to head to the sidelines to rehydrate, refuel, and discuss tactics with the coaching staff.
It was initially introduced and supposed to be implemented in games where the weather is too extreme, but FIFA have cunningly brought it into every match at the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton, who is covering the World Cup with the BBC, reacted to outspoken American pundit Alexi Lalas stating that the MLS will be ‘most likely to be the first league to add hydration breaks.’
And how the English Premier League will be the ‘last’ to do it, just because the hydration break is ‘perceived as American.’
That’s when Sutton, who loves to be sarcastic when anyone makes a stupid point, stated on social media that he is ‘looking forward’ to the ‘hydration break’ being implemented in ‘-3’ weather in the Scottish Premiership.
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Chris Sutton mocks the suggestion of ‘hydration breaks’ in the Scottish Premiership
Alexi Lalas: ‘MLS is most likely to be the first league to add hydration breaks. MLS has a history of embracing change (VAR, ref-cam, ref mics, timed subs, off-field treatment, 35-yard shootout, etc.) Premier League will be last, not b/c they don’t want it, but b/c it’s perceived as American.’
Sutton’s response: ‘Looking forward to the hydration breaks coming to the Scottish Premiership in the near future… when it’s -3 in Perth… makes sense.’
Hydration breaks or advertisement breaks?
In some cases, such as Scotland’s defeat to Brazil in Miami, it’s understandable that hydration breaks are needed.
But there are some matches where there is a threat of a thunderstorm, it has rained all day, or there is a roof covering an air-conditioned stadium, and they are taking a hydration break.
This is FIFA at its worst, bowing down to its paying masters, eking out every bit of pound and dollar they can by turning this into advertisement breaks.
In the United Kingdom, the BBC and ITV are covering this summer’s World Cup. When the hydration breaks happen, they don’t go to advertisements.
But they do for FOX Sports on American TV, which Lalas works for, which further proves that they have turned a football match, which is supposed to be a game of two halves, into the American styled four-quarters.
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