FIFA president Gianni Infantino isn’t backing down on the hydration break experiment, even though just about everyone watching the World Cup seems to hate them. According to a report from The Sun, Infantino says the stoppages are here to stay for future tournaments, arguing they actually make games better.
That take is not exactly popular. Fans have been griping that the breaks kill any rhythm a match might build, and the cynical among them have noticed something convenient: the pauses line up perfectly with commercial breaks. U.S. broadcasters have been cashing in on the extra ad time. U.K. networks, by contrast, have mostly opted not to air commercials during the stoppages. Either way, commentators on both sides of the Atlantic keep asking the same question: do we actually need these things?
Infantino’s answer is basically yes. He told reporters the breaks give managers a chance to fix tactical mistakes, reassess what’s working, and send players back out with fresh legs. He pointed to the tournament’s high pace as evidence the system is working.
“Maybe the coach can reassess certain situations, correct certain mistakes,” Infantino said. “The players get a little rest and come back in full speed. Well, is that bad necessarily? Maybe it’s good. 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.”
Not everyone is convinced. England manager Thomas Tuchel has made it clear he prefers games without the scheduled pauses, and some sports scientists have pushed back hard on the medical necessity argument, especially given that many World Cup matches are played in air-conditioned stadiums with closed roofs. If the heat isn’t really a factor, what’s the point?
England fans were particularly annoyed during the team’s scoreless draw with Ghana. There had already been a lengthy first-half injury delay that gave everyone a breather. But referee Said Martinez still called for the scheduled hydration break moments after play resumed. That kind of scene has fed the perception that these stoppages are more about TV timeouts than player safety.
Infantino dismissed those complaints by saying the rules need to be applied consistently. You can’t pick and choose when to call a hydration break based on the venue or the game situation, he argued.
Whether that logic holds up is another question. But for now, the breaks aren’t going anywhere. And fans are just going to have to sit through them, commercials and all.
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