Read 3 minutes24 Jun 2026 07:15 PM IST
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed his support for hydration breaks at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as managers and supporters express displeasure over stops between matches.
Infantino said football’s governing body was not making money from the break and that it was only for sporting reasons.
“There is no additional revenue for FIFA, because all commercial contracts were signed in advance. Therefore, it is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a matter of sport,” Infantino said in a statement on Wednesday.
He added that the hot weather in North America was the main reason for introducing the suspensions and it was important to follow the same rules in all the games in the tournament.
“The main reason is the heat, but we also need to understand that in a tournament like the World Cup, played over 39 days, where teams can potentially play eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important.
For the first time at a FIFA World Cup™, hydration breaks have been introduced at all matches. Breaks occur between the 22nd and 67th minutes and the final three minutes, which are added to stoppage time at the end of each half.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained… pic.twitter.com/g7wuUBfv48
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) 23 June 2026
“It is important for us to ensure that all the teams are playing in the same conditions in each match. And it is very difficult to accept that a coach has the opportunity to influence a match just because it is hot, but in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity. We want to make sure that why the same conditions are added to each match and why these statements are added to each match.
The hydration break has also drawn criticism from supporters in the stadium. Fans have repeatedly called for stoppages during several World Cup matches, including England’s matches against Croatia and Ghana, arguing that the mandatory three-minute break disrupts the flow and rhythm of the tournament.
England manager Thomas Tuchel and Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa have expressed discomfort with the hydration break. The former player said that they are changing the natural rhythm and flow of matches more than initially expected.
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The latter felt that hydration breaks added nothing to the game.
“In my opinion, it adds nothing and takes away a lot. So [the match] Divided into four eras, no thought was given to the impact it might have on what makes football such a fascinating game, but instead to other implications that I do not discuss or analyse,” Bielsa said.
Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk called for a game-by-game approach to hydration breaks, admitting it doesn’t bode well for those watching on television.
“I think for neutrals on TV, it’s not great either. So, if it’s really hot, obviously it’s better to wear them, but I think you have to look at each game individually, I think,” he said.