Long before hydration breaks drew groans at the FIFA World Cup 2026, football's governing body had already attempted something far more drastic — splitting matches into four quarters. The plan nearly became reality ahead of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, and it was UEFA that stopped it.

The commercial pressure behind the idea

In March 1990, FIFA president João Havelange proposed replacing football's traditional two 45-minute halves with four 25-minute quarters. The motivation was straightforward: American television networks ABC and ESPN, which held the broadcast rights for USA 94, were alarmed by the absence of natural breaks for commercial advertising.

Network executives feared that uninterrupted 45-minute periods made the tournament a commercial liability. Without regular stoppages, there was simply no room for the advertising revenue that made the event financially viable for broadcasters.

UEFA and the traditionalists push back

UEFA, strongly supported by the British Home Associations within the International Football Association Board (IFAB), refused outright. The traditionalist bloc argued that dismantling the structure of the game to serve advertising schedules was a step too far, and the proposal was rejected.

A second radical idea — widening the goalposts by a few inches to give attackers an advantage — was floated at the same time. That, too, was shot down by UEFA and IFAB before it could gather momentum.

The changes that did make it through

With the clock and the goalposts declared untouchable, FIFA and IFAB turned to other means of encouraging attacking football in time for USA 94. Several reforms emerged from that period that remain in place today.

The back-pass rule, introduced in 1992 following a dull Euro final in Sweden, banned goalkeepers from handling deliberate back-passes played with a teammate's feet. The rule directly targeted the time-wasting tactics that had blighted Italia 90 and Euro 92.

Three points for a win, first adopted in 1981, was applied to a World Cup for the first time at USA 94. The change was designed to punish teams content with a goalless draw, pushing group-stage sides to play for victory rather than settle for a shared point.

USA 94 also introduced referees wearing colours other than traditional black — bright yellow, pink, and white became common — to avoid clashing with kits. Players' names appeared on the backs of shirts at a World Cup for the first time as well.

A compromise that delivered

The reforms worked. USA 94 broke attendance records that have never been surpassed and averaged 2.71 goals per game — a marked improvement on Italia 90's 2.21 — all without a single commercial break interrupting play. The quarters plan was buried, but the tournament it was meant to save became one of football's great commercial successes.