Mia Hamm wants the 2026 World Cup's mandatory hydration breaks gone. The two-time Women's World Cup champion told USA TODAY's Studio IX that she's "not a fan" of the three-minute stoppages FIFA now requires at each half's 22-minute mark.
When Hamm led the USWNT to titles in 1991 and 1999, hydration breaks didn't exist. But her concern over this year's tournament centers on momentum.
Inside the Mounting Backlash to FIFA's World Cup Rule
According to Hamm, teams building pressure lose their rhythm, and coaches gain an advantage. The decorated striker pointed to sideline iPads and real-time tactical data that turn a water break into a strategy session.
"You can make big tactical changes in those three minutes that are given," Hamm said. "That can really change the course of the way your team is playing."
She did acknowledge the reasoning behind the rule, recognizing it as FIFA's attempt at promoting uniformity.
Historically, hydration breaks are at the discretion of game officials, usually implemented due to extreme heat and player safety concerns. The federation's new blanket rule takes any guesswork off the refs and lets teams plan for the delay, while — somewhat controversially — allowing networks to cut to commercial.
But Hamm and her fellow hydration break critics would rather players push through 45 minutes with added time than pause mid-half. In her view, soccer's identity depends on players solving problems on the pitch instead of coaches directing from the sideline between whistles.
