FIFA will review the impact of the three‑minute mandatory hydration break introduced at the 2026 World Cup, former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said a day before the final. The break, required in each half, was added for the first time in the tournament to protect players from heat and lasts three minutes, longer than the optional 90‑second pauses referees could previously call. Wenger said he has seen no data showing that the interval improves players’ abilities or the flow of the game and said conclusions will be drawn after the competition. He noted that fans have expressed dissatisfaction, especially in covered stadiums where conditions were cooler, and that the pause may alter the dynamics of matches by giving the trailing team time to reset tactically. Wenger also said medically the break was needed in many games. FIFA’s Technical Study Group praised a separate rule that requires players needing medical intervention to leave the pitch for one minute, a change that reduced the average number of medical stoppages from 2.3 per match in 2022 to 1.6 in this tournament. Some fans have mocked the hydration break, suggesting it was introduced to accommodate television commercials, and a fan in Washington, DC, said momentum shifts dramatically after each break.