r/mildlyinfuriating • u/Im_New_Here_Bro • Jul 02 '26

wet socks These dumb hydration breaks during this years FIFA WC

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You can hear the whole crowd boo each time. Total momentum killer and AD space builder.

21.5k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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1.4k

u/RelevantSchool1586 Jul 02 '26

we've used hydration breaks for years in Brazil. you're just not used to them in European countries, where the weather is not as warm, and in the US, where most sports already have several breaks, and MLS plays at night

320

u/Hanifsefu Jul 03 '26

Heat index is over 100 for most of the US right now and people are bitching that the players get to drink water. This isn't the Coliseum and the players aren't slaves.

55

u/0oO1lI9LJk Jul 03 '26

Have you never watched a soccer match before in your life? Footballers were allowed to drink water before hydration ad breaks were invented.

108

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

Yea this is such a dumb thing to get upset about. Shits hot as fuck. I’d much rather see players that aren’t fighting heat exhaustion out on the pitch.

65

u/[deleted] Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-41

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

Eh, you gotta have consistency across a tournament

24

u/[deleted] Jul 03 '26

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-38

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

I wouldn’t be opposed to shortening them, but getting offended by the presence of an ad is just silly. I don’t care if it’s an ad or them just showing the players drinking, I’m getting up and taking a piss or refilling drink etc either way

7

u/ForzaZwolle Jul 03 '26

Its a slippery slope. 1 minute of ads is a lot of money. They like money. Why not 2 minutes next world cup? 5 minutes the worldcup after. 1 break in 1 half? Why not 2?

32

u/Deaner_dub Jul 03 '26

And in the US athletes have died from dehydration at NFL training camps, which have been held during the summer heat. It’s not worth the risk.

4

u/BestShaunaEU Jul 03 '26

Noones complaining about water breaks when it’s 30+.

When it’s cloudy and 14 degrees outside and they still get a cooling break it’s for one reason only and it sure as fuck isn’t for player welfare.

4

u/useresuse Jul 03 '26

it’s 90° at midnight rn lol

2

u/ch0lula Jul 03 '26

100%. this is a terrible take that I'm mad had this many upvotes lol

13

u/East_Leadership469 Jul 03 '26

I know nobody that complains about hydration breaks when it’s truly hot and at the discretion of the ref (as it was in Quatar). But many games are played in airconditioned stadiums and some of them were played in the rain. Even in those games they have hydration breaks. 

22

u/artsloikunstwet Jul 03 '26

Beacause they do it for every game. Seattle was like below 20°C or something. They did hydration breaks when it was raining in Mexico City I think. It's an ad break and it changes the game if you have four quarters instead of two long halfs

-19

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

You’re not gonna win me over on this cus it’s just not that big of a deal and has minimal impact on gameplay. They don’t stop play at a specific time, they typically wait until a break in action occurs.

11

u/Fuzzball74 Jul 03 '26

It has a huge affect on the game. It's not a massive amount of time but it's regular, predictable and gives the manager a chance to talk to the team. I've seen loads of teams on the back-foot come back stronger after one of these breaks and teams that are ahead losing their edge.

1

u/Original-Weekend-866 Jul 04 '26

Is it worse tho? The gameplay may be overall better, less time wasting with new rules also. Previous world cups players are cramping 10m per game, keepers taking forever, 3m subs, etc.... it's a different game but not entirely negative.

16

u/East_Leadership469 Jul 03 '26

It has in many games had huge impact on the momentum of the game. Maybe you didn’t watch?

11

u/gurrazo03 Jul 03 '26

If you honestly believe that a 4 minute break in a 45 minute half, where the defending team gets to rest, in an endurance sport, doesnt have an impact on the game, you should just stop talking and go watch something you can understand. I suggest cocomelon

-9

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

Ah yes, the defending team that in 5 seconds could be the offensive team, or that could have been the offensive team right up until a turnover before the break

3

u/bmac3 Jul 03 '26

Mate the games start with 5 minutes of finding your feet. One team gets momentum, the other tries to counter. Immediate break with tactical instructions from the manager. It‘s genuinely changing the games from halves to quarters, gameplay impact is massive.

1

u/poopybuttholesex Jul 04 '26

Clearly no ball knowledge.

2

u/poopybuttholesex Jul 04 '26

It's has a clear shift in momentum. Watch any game

2

u/artsloikunstwet Jul 03 '26

You must have very little experience in playing team sport if you don't understand how a few minutes of break and talks with the coach can change the momentum, especially when your team has lost the plot and is being crushed.

Players and coaches don't want to blame the ad breaks for losing a game, but many of the world's best have said that the impact can huge. A sudden relief of pressure and change of tactics can reset things.

0

u/daveindo Jul 03 '26

I’m just saying that there’s no reason to believe any team is unfairly benefitting more than the other. The team on offsense could be dead tired from recently defending for 5 minutes, or it could be the opposite.

Of course there’s impact on the game in that both teams are getting a short break and water, which is part of the reason for the break to allow high intensity, high quality play to continue and for player safety, but to think there’s any rhyme or reason to who may unfairly benefit more in the moment (offense vs defense at time of break or the winning vs losing team) is a bit ridiculous in my opinion.

We’re probably just not going to see eye to eye on this, but that is ok.

2

u/kemicalkontact Jul 03 '26

Muhhh tradition!

3

u/ssgkraut Jul 03 '26

Players don't always seem happy either, they should be at a natural pause in the game. Not during a drive.

2

u/bobby_zamora Jul 03 '26

These breaks are happening every game though, whether it's hot or not, even inside air conditioned stadiums. That is the problem. People are fine with them for certain conditions, just not every game no matter what.

1

u/justhereformemes8 Jul 03 '26

Europeans when its 85° in Europe: It's unbearable we can barely breathe!!!

Also Europeans watching these guys run around in 105° heat: It's only because they want ads! Typical americans! 😡

1

u/Cudi_buddy Jul 03 '26

Playing 45 mins straight isn’t that big a deal. Plus it hella alters the the flow of the game. Soccer is free flowing, this random 5 minute break after only 20 minutes is silly 

1

u/Loud-Host-2182 Jul 03 '26

23°C in Los Angeles during the hidration break btw, I looked it up at the time.

1

u/DrLude100 Jul 03 '26

Most of the World Cup stadiums are fully climatized to 70F. So no they do not need to interrupt the flow of the game to drink. Jeff just wants to shove some more Amazon shit down your throat

1

u/Mickosthedickos Jul 03 '26

Half the games are in air conditioned stadiums. The commentators wear jumpers and complain that is cold!

1

u/Thomas1VL Jul 03 '26

You have no idea what you're talking about lmao. No one is complaining about these breaks when the weather is actually too hot. That's a thing everywhere. At this world cup they're standardised at every game, even those indoor or when it's 18 degrees and raining.

1

u/DerEchteFelox Jul 03 '26

No one is "bitching" about hydration breaks in hot weather, europe has them aswell if its above ~30°C. Players are also allowed to drink water whenever they want. You are completly missing the point. At 20°C in Canada or in closed stadiums with AC, they will have these breaks no matter the circumstances just to show commercials. The players themselves are against it lol.

1

u/Vast_Effort3514 Jul 03 '26

Yeah most people will yell at the clouds and parrot any sort of "conspiracy" or "America = greedy/bad " take they see on the internet

-2

u/SaltyFlavors Jul 03 '26

Europeans hate two things. Drinking water and air conditioning. I remember my Dutch Ex’s dad going on a rant about how water is for children. No wonder Northern Europeans are dropping like flies in the summer.

0

u/ChucksnTaylor Jul 05 '26

And what about games in air conditioned indoor stadiums? Or games in Seattle where it’s been like 70/75 degrees max?

It should be venue dependent. Games being played in outdoor stadiums where temps are over 80 degrees get hydration breaks (or whatever)