What's actually in England's water bottles during World Cup hydration breaks
World Cup mania has reached fever pitch, but hydration breaks have been a topic of controversy throughout the 2026 tournament.
For this year's World Cup, FIFA has allocated two three-minute hydration breaks per match to allegedly help players manage high temperatures in the US.
The referee usually pauses the game midway through each half and it's often met with boos from the crowd.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has previously said that he's not a fan of the hydration breaks.
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"I think that it interrupts and changes the identity of a football match much more than I thought," he said. "I had hydration breaks before when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter.
"They were shorter and they were just in a few matches. In the interests of fairness here, it is now done in every match for every team.
"It breaks the match almost in four quarters. And I think it changes the characteristic of the match more than I thought."
However, the breaks have become part of Tuchel's game plan with the opportunity to regroup with the team, as seen during England's 2-1 victory against DR Congo.
According to the BBC, the hydration breaks will work out at a whopping seven hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds across the tournament.
Many players don't drink the water to avoid discomfort, but will take quick sips and spit it out - a technique known as a carbohydrate mouth rinse.
But England manager Thomas Tuchel has invested in a special thermoregulation beverage to keep the likes of Kane and Bellingham sharp on the pitch.
What do England players drink during hydration breaks?
During World Cup hydration breaks, Tuchel reportedly gives his team CoreCtrl with a custom Lucozade electrolyte mix.
As reported by the Mirror, England's sports science team put in a huge order ahead of their first game.
Founded by Alistair Brownlee's nutrition brand, Truefuels, the powdered electrolytes are designed for thermoregulation.
The key ingredient is L-taurine, which helps to reduce the temperature at which the body begins to sweat. In turn, this helps to aid heat loss.
It also works by supporting your body in hot conditions with ingredients including peppermint (for cooling purposes), potassium, calcium, magnesium and Himalayan rock salt to aid the sweating process.
An 8-pack of True Fuels CoreCtrl is currently available on Amazon for £22.14 here.
Gels have also risen in popularity on and off the pitch. Popular brands include Maurten's £30.50 Gel 100 and the £2 SiS Beta Fuel Energy Gel.
Why are the hydration breaks controversial?
To ensure fairness across the board, FIFA applied hydration breaks to all 104 matches regardless of local temperature.
Despite the new addition helping some footballers to safely handle higher temperatures, it hasn't been without controversy.
Advertising is not new during matches, but the hydration breaks have enabled a new opportunity to show adverts aside from half-time.
World Cup 2026 fixture schedule and UK kick off times
Tuesday, 14 July
Semi-final - Match 101: France vs Spain, kick-off 8pm - Arlington, US
Wednesday, 15 July
Semi-final - Match 102: England vs Argentina, kick-off 8pm - Atlanta, US
Saturday, 18 July
Third Place Playoff - Match 103: Match 101 losers vs Match 102 losers, kick-off 10pm - Miami, US
Sunday, 19 July
Final - Match 104: Match 101 winners vs Match 102 winners, kick-off 8pm - New Jersey, US
Danielle Fowler