England are lagging behind when it comes to taking advantage of hydration breaks at the World Cup, new data shows.
Harry Kane’s 75th-minute equaliser against DR Congo in the last 32 was the first time Thomas Tuchel’s men had scored within 10 minutes of a hydration break at the tournament.
That goal helped turn the tide in Atlanta, with Kane scoring the winner 11 minutes later, and if England want to reach the latter stages of the World Cup 2026 they may have to make the most of the mid-match stoppages again.
Who has scored the most goals after hydration breaks?
Hydration breaks have been a major talking point during the tournament in North America, with every match stopping for three minutes midway through each half.
FIFA introduced the measure supposedly with player welfare in mind, but with only some games taking place in extreme heat - and broadcasters allowed to show adverts during each break - it has drawn criticism from fans both in stadiums and watching at home.
However, it also gives managers the chance to pass on crucial information to players, which is particularly useful when the opponents have the upper hand - and this appears to be having an immediate impact on matches.
Ahead of Spain’s last-32 clash with Austria on Thursday evening, 40 of the 241 goals scored at the World Cup had come within 10 minutes of one of the two hydration breaks.
Until the 2-1 victory over DR Congo, England had not found the net in that timeframe but they had conceded once - Martin Baturina’s first-half equaliser for Croatia in their Group L opener, which Tuchel’s side eventually won 4-2.
Co-hosts Canada and five-time winners Brazil have used the hydration breaks most effectively, according to data from AceOdds.
Both teams have scored three goals within 10 minutes of the mid-match stoppages so far at the tournament, although Carlo Ancelotti’s men did concede shortly after the first-half hydration break in the last 32 against Japan, before going on to win 2-1.
Six countries have found the net twice within 10 minutes of hydration breaks - Germany, Argentina, Morocco, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Norway - although the latter four have also conceded at least one goal, too.
Interestingly, there is an exact 50/50 split between the two halves, with 20 goals scored after first-half hydration breaks and the other 20 occurring in the second period.
Haiti conceded a whopping five goals within 10 minutes of hydration breaks, despite playing just three matches in Group C on their way to exiting the tournament without gaining a point. Jordan and Qatar, who were also eliminated at the group stage, were the next highest on that list, shipping three goals each.
