This summer's World Cup will feature a host of new initiatives designed to improve the spectator experience and match officiating, but the mandatory pausing of play in each half for a drinks break is likely to have the greatest effect on the game itself.
FIFA announced in December that all 104 World Cup matches will pause for three-minute "hydration breaks" midway through each half amid expectations of high temperatures during the expanded 48-team tournament held across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Previous World Cups and major competitions have also introduced drinks breaks in recent years, but they have been either been enacted at the discretion of the match referee or when a certain temperature threshold has been met.
The decision to expand drinks breaks to every match at the World Cup, made after consultation with coaches and broadcasters, has been presented as necessary for player welfare, but some have argued there are underlying financial motives behind their introduction.
Why are there drinks breaks at the World Cup?
One of the biggest takeaways from last summer's revamped Club World Cup in the United States was the extreme heat in which many matches were played.
Coaches and players were highly critical of the conditions, with Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernández saying he felt "really dizzy" while playing in temperatures he described as "very dangerous."
Three of Chelsea's games during the tournament -- which was held across near-identical dates in June and July last year as this summer's World Cup -- were played with local weather warnings urging people to avoid undertaking strenuous physical activity outdoors.
Then-Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca said he had to cut training sessions short amid a "code red" heat warning in Philadelphia last June, Spain's Marcos Llorente said he felt "terribly hot" and added, "My toes were sore, my nails were hurting -- it's incredible," after playing in Atletico Madrid's 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in Pasadena, California.
Chelsea won the Club World Cup with a 3-0 victory over PSG in the final at MetLife Stadium.
In their statement announcing the mandatory introduction of hydration breaks at the World Cup, FIFA said the measure "is part of a focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments, including the recent FIFA Club World Cup."
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Why have the mandated drinks breaks been criticized?
FIFA's December announcement was notable in mandating a drinks break in each half during all World Cup matches -- including those played under closed roofs and in colder climates such as Seattle.
While the need to prioritise the health of players in high temperatures is not contested, some argue that football matches are being divided from a contest split across two halves into a four-quarter format more readily associated with American sports.
These misgivings were followed three months later by the confirmation that FIFA had given commercial broadcasters the green light to show adverts during the hydration breaks at the World Cup.
The development left many onlookers concluding that as well as player welfare concerns, there were commercial motivations behind FIFA's decision to unilaterally impose drinks breaks in their showpiece event.
FIFA has argued that its decision to apply drinks breaks across all 104 matches regardless of the local temperature at the time of each match was designed to ensure uniformity and consistency across the tournament.
Broadcaster DAZN utilised split-screen adverts during drinks breaks at last summer's Club World Cup.
Advertising is ubiquitous for spectators at elite football matches across stadium signage, player kits and pitchside displays, and television audiences are subject to regular advertising breaks before, during halftime and after games, but a full cut-away from a live football match to show an advert would be a new development for several countries.
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What will the drinks breaks look like?
The referee will whistle to stop the game 22 minutes into each half to allow players to rehydrate. After three minutes a second whistle from the referee will signal an end to the drinks break and play will resume.
The 2026 World Cup's chief tournament officer, Manolo Zubiri,a has said that if there is an injury or other ongoing stoppage "at the moment of the 20th or 21st minute" then the referee will be able to take the opportunity to call for a slightly early drinks break.
Coaches are highly likely to take the opportunity to give their players further tactical instructions during the three-minute breaks, as USMNT boss Mauricio Pochettino did during a pre-tournament friendly against Senegal when he gathered his players around a laptop in the dugout.
For viewers watching from home, it is understood that commercial broadcasters have been given the option to go to a split-screen where they would be limited to adverts for FIFA partner sponsors only, or a full cut-away where they can show any advert as normal.
Broadcasters have been advised that the adverts should not start within 20 seconds of the referee blowing for the start of the hydration break, and the broadcast must return to the action more than 30 seconds before play resumes.
Information from PA contributed to this story