The World Cup S Other Hydration Break A High Speed Beer Run

At a World Cup loaded with tension and geopolitical intrigue, nothing has been more polarizing than the disruptions known as “hydration breaks.” These three-minute pauses, which occur midway through each half, have been derided around the globe as commercial land grabs that cater to sponsors, break up momentum, and violate the spirit of soccer.

There is, however, one thirsty group that can’t get enough of them—and it isn’t the guys running around in the heat for 90 minutes.

At stadiums all over the country, the World Cup’s hydration breaks have turned into high-speed beer runs.

“That’s exactly what I looked at it as,” U.S. supporter Daniel Bonner said during the team’s match against Australia in Seattle. But, he added, as a soccer fan, “I hate them.”

FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, insists the hydration breaks are a necessary measure for player safety in the heat of the North American summer—never mind that five of the 16 fields at this tournament are covered or entirely indoors.

What these respites have actually done is help turn this into what might just be the booziest World Cup in history. Four years after Qatar unceremoniously ripped beer out of stadiums on the eve of the tournament, there are drinks galore inside NFL venues that are accustomed to serving beer, cocktails and hard seltzers to fans watching the other kind of football.

Only when it comes to soccer, it’s typically more difficult to indulge during the action. In England, rules designed to curb hooliganism mean it’s not even possible to have a tipple “in view of the pitch” from 15 minutes before kickoff. (This doesn’t mean those fans are sober—just that they down pints ahead of time and flood the stadium concourses at halftime.)

But at this tournament, FIFA has given thirsty supporters more windows than ever to reload without missing a kick. The hydration break might as well be called the libation break.

“I like it,” said Rey Fernandez, an Argentina fan from Los Angeles during Lionel Messi’s master class against Austria. “It’s very American though.”

And at U.S. matches, Americans can’t get enough. When the Stars and Stripes’ clash with Australia kicked off last week, there wasn’t a single person in line at the “Cityside” concession stand on the concourse behind the Australian goal. One employee was so bored that she was on her cellphone.

That suddenly changed exactly 23 minutes and 56 seconds later.

From the moment the referee blew his whistle to signal the hydration break, fans streamed to the counter for a beverage. They had 180 seconds to get there, make their purchase and return to their seat before the action resumed.

“The hydration breaks are BS. It’s a cash-grab…but I can get my beers,” said another U.S. fan at the U.S.-Australia match. “This is a new experience for me, being able to sneak out in the middle of a half.”

Bonner was a veteran of the drill. The New Jersey resident had already attended the first U.S. match in Los Angeles before making his way to Seattle, and despite his feelings about the pauses, he grudgingly came to view it as his opportunity to restock.

“I would’ve loaded up if I had the option to earlier,” he added, “but you’re only allowed two per person.”

For even easier access, fans at this World Cup don’t even have to leave their seats to get a taste. Unlike in most stadiums in Europe, venues here have beer vendors strolling the stands with coolers full of cans.

Altogether, it’s a cocktail of factors making this the most alcohol-fueled World Cup on record. Entire cities have looked on with awe as foreign fans have swooped in and slurped up the supply. Scottish supporters, known as the Tartan army, practically drank Boston dry.

One Dallas pub reported selling 5,000 beers to England fans before their match against Croatia. And the city of Philadelphia gave bars temporary permission to remain open until 4 a.m. instead of the usual 2 a.m. to accommodate World Cup visitors.

Now, the hydration breaks mean that supporters are never more than 22.5 minutes from their next beer—whether they like the stoppage or not.

“I guess soccer fans are just going to have to learn to live with it,” Fernandez said.

But at least one fan in Seattle used the hydration break for its stated purpose.

Much like the players, Berly Nelson felt like he was roasting in the sun at Lumen Field. Team USA’s second World Cup match was already his fourth game of the tournament and, by then, he was the rare fan who had fallen in love with these moments of soccer heresy.

For one, they’ve allowed the Fargo, N.D. resident to escape the heat and use the restroom. They also gave Nelson a chance to scoop up a bottle of water for his daughter.

“I would otherwise never do that for fear of missing out on something,” he said. “You probably realize how maddening that can be in a 90-plus minute match to run to the bathroom—and then miss the lone goal.”

Write to Andrew Beaton at andrew.beaton@wsj.com and Joshua Robinson at Joshua.Robinson@wsj.com