Gianni Infantino has defended the controversial introduction of mandatory hydration breaks at the World Cup 2026 and said Fifa will consider implementing them at future tournaments.
The Fifa president insisted that the mandatory three-minute breaks, which take place in the middle of every match at the tournament, bring “no additional revenue for Fifa” and have been introduced to protect player welfare.
The breaks have been unpopular with some players, managers and fans, with critics saying the pauses disrupt the flow and “identity” of the game. They have been used as opportunities to show additional advertising in some countries, while fans in stadiums have started booing the breaks in play.
Despite the criticism, Infantino said the stoppages in play, which were initially introduced to help players cope with high temperatures, have been positive change for the tournament.
“Maybe the coach can reassess certain situations, correct certain mistakes. The players get a little rest and come back in full speed. Well, is that bad necessarily? Maybe it’s good,” Infantino told SNTV.
“And we see as well the intensity of the games. We’ve never seen 90 minutes in a tournament like this played in such an intensity. Until the last second of the match, players attack and so on.
“And maybe, maybe not, but maybe it’s also a bit thanks to this little break that the players have and after they can go back on the field and show what they can do.”
Infantino, who suggested Fifa would consider staging the same breaks in future tournaments “based on this experience”, also said it would not be fair to have hydration breaks in some games but not in others. Hydration breaks taking place in stadiums with air condition has been a source of considerable frustration for match-going fans.
“If we were to use hydration breaks only in those matches where it was too hot and not in the other matches, we would give an advantage or a disadvantage to some of the coaches or some of the teams,” Infantino said.
“Why would the coach have the opportunity to influence the game in one match just because it’s hot and in another match where it’s a bit less hot, he wouldn’t have this opportunity?”
In a statement, Infantino also said Fifa agreed their broadcast contracts in advance of the decision to implement hydration breaks, insisting that Fifa would not profit financially from them.
“There is no additional revenue for Fifa, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance,” he said. ”So, this is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter.”
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