FIFA president defends mandatory hydration breaks at World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended the implementation of mandatory three-minute hydration breaks at the World Cup, which occur at the 22nd and 67th minutes of each match. Infantino stated that the measure is strictly for athletic health and performance, denying claims that it serves commercial purposes or provides extra revenue for FIFA, as all advertising agreements were finalized before the tournament. While some coaches including Thomas Tuchel and Marcelo Bielsa have criticized the breaks for disrupting the rhythm and identity of the sport, other figures like Luis de la Fuente and Virgil van Dijk have supported them during extreme heat. Critics have voiced concerns that the breaks act as American-style time-outs used to generate additional advertising airtime. Infantino suggested that the breaks may actually benefit the game by allowing coaches to correct tactics and players to recover, potentially contributing to the high intensity of the matches. FIFA plans to analyze the experience to determine future policy for subsequent tournaments. The tournament has seen high scoring rates and successful performances by star players and debut teams despite the expansion to 48 participants.