Hydration breaks have become commonplace at the 2026 World Cup, but was it a little unusual for English fans?
A hydration break was taken in England's first match (against Switzerland) in the group stage. But the English fans expressed displeasure at the break that did not change the quality of the team in that match, which they saw as a dip in the players' performances due to fatigue towards the end of the match.
Their expression of displeasure was through booing.
Journalist Joshua Richards analyzed this.
"If the spectators feel that a hydration break is taken just to take a break for tactical reasons in the match, they may not be satisfied," Richards said.
"Hydration breaks but the momentum in the game is lost.
"If the fans start to judge whether the hydration break is working properly in terms of the pace of the match, it wouldn't be unusual for them to react that way.
