Overview
- An electrical storm at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium delayed the Mexico–Ecuador match by about an hour on Wednesday and halted pre-match warmups, forcing match organisers to push back kick-off.
- FIFA issued conflicting decisions about the scheduled three-minute hydration breaks — first saying they would be scrapped, then reportedly reinstating them after Mexico warmed up, and other reports saying no breaks would occur.
- The pauses are compulsory at roughly the 22nd and 67th minutes of each match and were introduced by FIFA for player welfare to give every game the same treatment.
- Critics and some broadcasters say the breaks disrupt match flow, have been used as tactical timeouts by coaches, and provide sellable advertising slots that have sometimes overrun return times.
- The Azteca confusion highlights uneven on-the-ground implementation and strengthens calls for FIFA's promised post-tournament review and possible rule changes for future competitions.