Neville, Wright and Keane demand FIFA act on 'blatant' World Cup hydration break misuse

Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright have called on FIFA to urgently reform the hydration break protocol at the 2026 World Cup, warning that a welfare measure has been quietly converted into a tactical and commercial tool that is damaging the flow of the game.

The three-minute breaks, introduced at last year’s Club World Cup to protect players from the heat across the tri-nation North American tournament, have become a flashpoint as temperatures soar and broadcasters fill the stoppages with advertising. By splitting each 45-minute half into two segments, the format has drawn widespread comparisons to the NFL and NBA — a parallel that has unsettled players and supporters alike. Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk was among the first to speak out after his side’s 2-2 draw with Japan, saying the breaks are “not really something that I like.”

Speaking on The Overlap, Neville was direct about what he has observed on the touchline. “I think FIFA are going to have to act quite quickly now,” he said. “If it’s a drinks break, the coaches have got to stay on the bench — you can’t bring tactics boards out. There was one game they actually had a screen where they showed a set-piece. It’s effectively a mini-half-time, four quarters. I am surprised it’s not been stamped on pretty quickly, and I think it is a stealth advertising break.”

Wright pushed back on even that framing. “There’s nothing stealth about it,” he said. “It’s blatant.”

Keane went further, arguing that the stoppages are eroding one of football’s defining qualities — its relentless pace. “We love football because of the pace of the game,” the former Republic of Ireland captain said. “You don’t want to go to the toilet, you might miss something. Other sports you go, ‘listen, we can go out, we might not miss much.’ But these breaks… what it’s doing” — he suggested — is encouraging fans to disengage entirely during the stoppages.

The criticism from three of English football’s most prominent voices adds significant weight to a debate that has already split coaches, players and supporters since the tournament began. FIFA has not yet responded publicly to calls for the protocol to be revised mid-tournament, but pressure from high-profile figures is likely to intensify as the competition progresses.