A statement made by Diego Maradona in 2018 has resurfaced on social media during the 2026 World Cup.
At the time, the Argentine idol criticized the choice of the United States, Canada and Mexico as hosts of the tournament and said that the Americans would try to adapt soccer to favor television advertising.
In the interview, Maradona even said that the United States would “split the game into four 25-minute periods” to insert commercials. “There is no passion,” he argued at the time.
Although that did not happen literally, many fans associated the statement with the mandatory hydration breaks adopted in all 2026 World Cup matches, regardless of weather conditions.
The stoppages last about three minutes and allow broadcasters to show ads during matches. The measure was implemented by FIFA as part of a protocol to protect athletes from the high temperatures recorded in some of the tournament’s host cities.
However, the decision has drawn criticism from fans and commentators, who consider the breaks excessive and point out that they favor commercial interests by expanding advertising space in broadcasts.
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Photos: Creative Commons / Public domain. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
