Offensive team behaviour before and after mandatory hydration breaks at the FIFA World Cup 2026

The mandatory hydration breaks implemented during the 2026 FIFA World Cup represented a novel universal application of these interruptions, with breaks occurring in every match regardless of environmental conditions, prompting discussion regarding their potential implications for game dynamics. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to compare offensive passing patterns during the five minutes immediately before and after mandatory hydration breaks. A total of 22,728 passes corresponding to the 104 matches played in the tournament were analysed, examining 25 indicators related to the frequency, effectiveness, direction, progression, spatial location, and attacking threat of passes. Qualitative indicators were analysed using chi-square tests, while quantitative indicators were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Statistically significant differences (p < .05) were detected in several passing indicators following hydration breaks; however, all effect sizes were small (V ≤ 0.079; │d│ ≤ 0.083), indicating limited practical impact on offensive game dynamics. These findings suggest that collective attacking behaviours in elite football exhibit notable stability in the face of planned regulatory interruptions, remaining practically unchanged after play resumes. Taken together, these results provide relevant empirical evidence for coaches, performance analysts, and governing bodies, as they indicate that only small differences in passing behaviour were observed between the five-minute periods immediately before and after mandatory hydration breaks.