Gianni Infantino backs hydration breaks in World Cup: ‘Purely a sporting matter’

3 min readJun 24, 2026 07:15 PM IST

FIFA president Gianni Infantino during an event. (FILE)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has voiced his support for the hydration breaks at the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as managers and supporters continue to express displeasure at the stoppages during matches.

Infantino said that football’s governing body were not making revenue from these breaks and they were meant only for sporting reasons.

“There is no additional revenue for FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance. ‌So, this is not ‌a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter,” Infantino said in ‌a statement on Wednesday.

He further added that the hot weather prevailing in North America was the main reason behind introducing the stoppages, and it was important to follow the same rules in all games of the tournament.

“The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing 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. The breaks take place in the 22nd and 67th minutes and last three minutes, which are added on to the stoppage time at the end of each half.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino explained… pic.twitter.com/g7wuUBfv48

— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) June 23, 2026

“What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions. And it’s very difficult to accept that a coach might have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it’s hotter, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach doesn’t have the same opportunity. We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone, and that’s why these breaks are implemented in every match,” the statement added.

The hydration breaks have also drawn criticism from supporters inside stadiums. Fans have repeatedly booed the stoppages during several World Cup matches, including England’s games against Croatia and Ghana, arguing that the mandatory three-minute breaks disrupt the flow and rhythm of contests.

England manager Thomas Tuchel and Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa have expressed their discomfort with the hydration breaks. The former said they were altering the natural rhythm and flow of matches more than he initially expected.

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The latter felt that hydration breaks were adding nothing to the game.

“In my view, it adds nothing and takes away a lot. When [the match] was divided into four periods, no thought was given to the effect it might have on what makes football such a captivating sport, but instead to other repercussions which I’m neither discussing nor analysing,” Bielsa said.

Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk called for a game-by-game approach with regard to the hydration breaks, admitting that it was not proving good for those watching on television.

“I think for the neutral watchers on TV, it’s also not great. So, if it’s really hot, obviously it would be good to put them in, but I think you have to look at it in every game separately, in my opinion,” he said.