Rimo Hunt on World Cup 2026 hydration breaks: coaches' work has become much harder

Football's 2026 World Cup has introduced several new rules, with three-minute hydration breaks during half-time sparking the most debate. At ETV's sports studio, former Estonia international Rimo Hunt and Märten Pajunurm discussed how these breaks significantly affect match flow and complicate tactical work for coaches.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place in North America has delivered exciting matches alongside considerable debate over tournament organization and rule changes. One of the most contentious issues is the hydration breaks that pause play for three minutes during the midpoint of each half, generating reaction from both fans and experts.

Breaks change tactics around

At ETV's sports studio, former Estonia international Rimo Hunt and Märten Pajunurm, who spent a long period with FC Kuressaare and played in the US college league, discussed the topic. According to Hunt, the three-minute breaks represent a significant shift in top-level football's tactical logic.

"When you watch top football, coaches put in a tremendous amount of work-days and weeks analysing opponents, your own team, setting lineups, choosing tactics. Smarter and more capable coaches surprise with their moves," Hunt explained. "That three-minute break gives you the chance to change everything. It has made coaches' work harder."

Pajunurm agreed that the breaks have noticeably affected matches: "The game picture has been affected quite a lot, but the nature of football is that one team has the pressure and then this break comes, and everything changes. We've seen this repeatedly." He added that people haven't adapted to the breaks yet and they still feel strange. "I hope this doesn't come to stay," said Pajunurm.

England surprises, USA charms the crowd

Beyond the hydration breaks, both commentators highlighted positive aspects of the tournament. Pajunurm confirmed that he has been pleasantly surprised by England's high standard. "Under Southgate, goals and results came hard, it was never good viewing. Now that match against Croatia was something where you simply couldn't go to sleep. For the first time, I believe England is truly the biggest favourite at this tournament," he said.

Host nation the USA has also impressed, defeating Paraguay 4:1 in their opening match. "The USA got its people on board, there were goals and a show. The quality of play was also excellent," described Pajunurm, noting that pre-tournament question marks have dissipated. It's also noteworthy that the US squad includes as many as eight players who started their careers in the college league, far more than Pajunurm expected.

Fans have taken over the cities

Travelling football fans have given the World Cup a special atmosphere. Pajunurm noted he has never seen such an effect before: "Tens of thousands of fans come and bring things alive in the cities." Hunt added that the tournament overall is memorable, but it's still early to assess the full impact of all the changes. "We don't yet have a clear picture of whether all these changes are positive or if some are negative," he conceded.