FIFA had been trying for years to get soccer into the US. In this World Cup it has been American culture that has entered football

Each match in the 2026 World Cup has been stopped twice for players to drink water. What FIFA sold as a medical standard has become one of the largest sources of advertising revenue in the history of football. The hydration break It is reminiscent of the one you already see in a LaLiga match in August, when the heat at four in the afternoon justifies it. Here, repeated in air-conditioned stadiums where more than one fan is seen wearing a cardigan, it sounds more like an excuse.

It’s just the most visible symptom of something bigger.

The panoramic. FIFA has been pursuing the American market for years without soccer finally gaining ground against basketball, American football or hockey. This summer he has changed his strategy: instead of selling football as it is, he has redesigned it with the cultural and television codes of the United States.

Pauses that cut off the game, advertising in the middle of the game, celebrities paid to occupy the box, hospitality overflowing, very expensive tickets, a break from the final that doubles its usual duration to accommodate a concert… The tournament has also been played in Mexico and Canada, but it has not stopped sounding like the NFL and the NBA.

The party has stopped being the product. He show prior, rest and show Later they are also products, they also compete for the same attention.

In detail. The centerpiece is the hydration breaks: three minutes in the 22nd and 67th minutes of each of the 104 games, without discriminating by temperature. FIFA announced them in December as a health prevention and authorized television stations to fill the gap with up to two minutes and ten seconds of advertisements.

It is not the only piece of the decoration:

• Halftime in the finals has been extended to about 30 minutes to accommodate a Super Bowl-style musical performance.
• One has appeared backroom VIP, very similar to the NFL boxes, where authorities, family and celebrities follow the game.
• Television production has adopted shots, access to locker rooms and tunnels that until now were the domain of American football.

Between the lines. It is tempting to blame the United States for “Americanizing” soccer. But the one who has made every decision (breaks, calendar, 48 teams…) is FIFA, which has seen in the American entertainment model the fastest way to continue increasing income just when Europe, its traditional place, begins to show signs of stagnation.

The French Ligue 1, without going any further, lost his television deals and has had to set up its own direct sales platform.

behind the scenes. The change is not only a matter of changes in the regulations, it is also noticeable in how it is broadcast.

• The networks constantly cut to celebrities, boxes and reactions in the stands in search of the viral shot.
• Every break, every corner, every substitution is an opportunity for sponsorship, not just hydration.
• The fan in the stadium is no longer just a spectator, he is part of the set. The stands are lit, focused and edited, NFL style.

In figures. The numbers explain why FIFA has been compensated for the change in model.

• The organization’s audiovisual income has grown by 36% compared to Qatar 2022, up to about 3,925 million dollars.
• Fox calculates entering between 250 and 500 million dollars only with the advertising of hydration breaks.
• A 20-second ad during a break has been sold in France for 425,000 euros.
• For the rights bid for 2030 and 2034, offers in the United States could start at $1 billion and reach $2 billion if both tournaments are packaged.

Yes, but. Not all football has jumped on the bandwagon. The Premier League, the richest and least in need of new income, does not contemplate breaks: British regulations limit live advertisements and in England it is rarely as hot as would justify them. UEFA has said that He will not take them to the Champions League or the Euro Cup in 2028.

And now what. CONMEBOL has already announced 90-second breaks for the Libertadores and the Sudamericana 2026. The MLS and the NWSL will negotiate their next rights with the World Cup precedent on the table. And FIFA is preparing the 2030 bid, with Spain as one of the venues, knowing that the networks will no longer pay only for the 90 minutes of the match: they will also pay for the minutes in which it stops.

Featured image | FIFAXataka

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