Van Dijk criticises mandatory World Cup hydration breaks

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk expressed frustration with the mandatory hydration breaks introduced for the 2026 World Cup after his side's 2-2 draw with Japan in Dallas. He questioned the necessity of stoppages in air-conditioned venues. Under the new guidelines, hydration breaks are fixed regardless of whether a stadium is open-air or under a closed roof.

The policy, designed to protect players from extreme heat across North America, has drawn criticism when applied in temperature-controlled arenas such as the AT&T Stadium; critics have likened the pauses to the commercial-driven structure of the NFL. Van Dijk urged a more flexible approach.

He said, "I think hydration breaks are really interesting. I was obviously watching almost all of the games up until today. I think every time going to commercials is a bit, not really something that I like." He added, "I think for the neutral watchers on TV it is also not great.

United States, Dallas

van dijk, hydration breaks, world cup, at&t stadium, dallas, japan, player safety, closed roof, commercials, nfl