England launched their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with an emphatic 4-2 defeat of Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday — but the match was not without controversy. Twice during the game, play came to a halt for a three-minute hydration break, and both times the stadium crowd responded with loud boos.

The jeers were not aimed at players or referees. They were directed squarely at one of the tournament's most debated new features: mandatory hydration breaks, scheduled once per half in every match.

Why the breaks were introduced

FIFA introduced the pauses ahead of this summer's tournament to help players cope with the intense heat across North American host cities. The decision followed concerns raised during last summer's FIFA Club World Cup, also held in the United States, where conditions proved gruelling for players and fans alike.

Each break lasts three minutes and falls roughly in the middle of each half, effectively splitting matches into four segments rather than two. For critics, that is precisely the problem.

Fans united in frustration

England and Croatia supporters — separated on the pitch — found common ground in the stands, booing the interruptions inside the air-conditioned AT&T Stadium in Dallas. Similar scenes played out across the opening round of fixtures. Norway's game against Iraq in Boston was met with boos despite a comfortable temperature of 23C at kick-off. Sweden's 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia and Spain's goalless draw with Cape Verde — both on Monday — prompted the same reaction from fans, as did the first hydration break during Ghana's match against Panama later in the week.

For many supporters, the breaks feel manufactured.