Fifa president Gianni Infantino has defended the introduction of hydration breaks at the World Cup, insisting that football’s governing body said the breaks were driven solely by sporting considerations and not commercial interests.
The mandatory three-minute breaks, introduced in the 22nd and 67th minutes of every match in the tournament, have drawn criticism from players, coaches and fans since the first round.
The breaks, introduced to help players cope with high temperatures across North America, opened additional advertising windows for broadcasters.
This fueled debate over their impact on the game, with some viewers complaining about being exposed to adverts during the three-minute stoppages.
“There is no additional income for Fifa, because all the commercial agreements were signed well in advance. So it is not a financial question for us. For us it is a purely sporting question,” Infantino said in a statement on Wednesday.
Breaks allow coaches to give tactical instructions during the match, a change that critics say disrupts the momentum of the match and fundamentally alters the nature of the game.
England manager Thomas Tuchel said the extra break “interrupts and changes the identity of the football match”, while Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said breaking matches into shorter segments takes away the fundamental characteristic of the game.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk supported the intention behind the rule in extreme heat conditions, but questioned its necessity in cooler conditions and at indoor venues.
“The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the (FIFA) World Cup, which is played over 39 days, with teams that can play eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment of rest is extremely important,” Infantino said.
“What is even more important to us is to guarantee that all teams, in every match, play under the same conditions.
“It is very difficult to accept that a coach can have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it is warmer, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity.”
Infantino added that the breaks did not reduce the intensity of the matches, suggesting that the players were able to maintain a high level of performance throughout the matches.
