World Cup / Diego Maradona’s 2018 prophecy: Americans want football in four quarters for more commercials

When FIFA announced in 2018 that the 2026 World Cup would be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the first major figure to express dissatisfaction was Argentine football icon Diego Maradona.

According to him, such an event should not be held in countries that do not have a true football culture.

“I don’t like it,” Maradona said at the time to local media Telesur. “Mexico doesn’t deserve it. Mexicans play against Brazil or Germany… and boom, they get eliminated.”

Maradona also pointed out the lack of football interest in North America at the time. He emphasized that before the 1994 World Cup, the United States proposed dividing matches into four parts to allow more broadcasting time for advertisements.

“They have no passion. Canadians may be good skiers, and the Americans wanted four periods of 25 minutes for commercials,” Maradona said.

And it seems he may have had a point. For the first time in this World Cup, FIFA has allowed what is called a “hydration break.” These are 3-minute interruptions in the middle of each half, allowing players to cool down while advertisements flood stadium screens and TV broadcasts.

Diego Maradona passed away on November 25, 2020, following a cardiac arrest at the age of 60.

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