Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has expressed his frustration with the mandatory hydration breaks introduced for the 2026 World Cup. He recently had his say while speaking after his side’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Japan, and fans have been reacting.
Disclosing that he is not a fan of the breaks, Van Dijk questioned the necessity of the stoppages in air-conditioned environments.
The Dutch skipper added that the pauses in play serve the interests of broadcasters more than the athletes on the pitch.
His words, “I think hydration breaks are really interesting. I was obviously watching almost all of the games up until today. I think every time going to commercials is a bit, not really something that I like.
I think for the neutral watchers on TV it is also not great. So if it is really hot it would be good to put them in but I think you have to look at it in every game, separately, in my opinion. But I think I have said enough already on that.”
WOW.
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate