During the opening match of the 2026 tournament, Fox's misstep in running commercials during the mandatory hydration break caught the attention of fans and journalists on social media.

The 2026 World Cup in North America, with Mexico, Canada, and the United States playing host, started on Thursday with a fixture between Mexico and South America in Mexico City. The host nation went on to win 2-0,

Fans learned earlier on Thursday, just hours before the World Cup began, that Fox had opted to utilize the FIFA-mandated mid-half hydration breaks to air full-screen advertising, a stark departure from usual soccer broadcasting standards that see each half air unencumbered by commercials.

The brand enlisted soccer stars alongside Kim Kardashian and LeBron James—but many commenters say Adidas still delivered the better ad.

World Cup viewers quickly took to social media to complain about FOX implementing a commercial break during the FIFA-mandated hydration break in the first-half of Mexico-South Africa

Forget the wait and the restrained hype: brands have already scored the first screamers of the 2026 World Cup. Between ’90s nostalgia, impossible pop-culture cameos, and animations flirting with