Constant breaks make World Cup matches harder: Scaloni takes hydration breaks

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has expressed concern over FIFA’s newly introduced hydration breaks for the 2026 World Cup, saying the interruptions disrupt the rhythm of matches and force teams to rethink their tactical approach.

Scaloni said ahead of Argentina’s Group J clash against Austria in Dallas on Monday mandatory three-minute breaks halfway through each half they changed the flow of games and gave coaches more opportunities to make adjustments.

“There are no easy games, especially in the group stage,” Scaloni told reporters on Sunday.

“Historically, and now with the 48-team format, the group stage has always been tough. Now with the heat conditions and the hydration break, the game is constantly being stopped.”

The Argentina coach initially suggested the breaks could benefit the underdogs by giving them more time to regroup.

“Maybe it helps the weaker team because they have time to fix things. They have time to adjust,” he said.

However, Scaloni later clarified that stoppages can help both teams, especially those looking to make tactical adjustments during halftime.

“The concept of ‘four periods’ is real. Between the time the players come in and leave, we only have three-and-a-half minutes at half-time to talk to them,” Scaloni said. “Everything in my mind can change depending on these 22 or 23 minutes. We have people who analyze the game and we look for solutions. That’s what you do in a normal half.

The 48-year-old player admitted that adapting to the new format was not easy.

“It’s weird adjusting to it. Eventually it will be normal, but right now it feels unusual because the flow of the game is disrupted,” he said.

FIFA has introduced mandatory hydration breaks at this summer’s World Cup as part of a player welfare initiative amid concerns about high temperatures in several host cities. Timeouts are enforced in every game regardless of the weather.

Argentina went into Monday’s game on the back of a convincing 3-0 win over Algeria in their tournament opener, where Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick. Austria also opened their campaign with a win, beating Jordan 2-1 to move up three points in Group J.

Scaloni expects a stern test from Ralf Rangnick as both teams look to take a significant step towards the knockout stages.

“Austria have very good players. They are a great team, high pressure, vertical team,” Scaloni said. “We saw that he is an opponent to be reckoned with. It will be complicated.”

Despite a number of surprising results in the opening round of bouts, Scaloni backed the traditional heavyweights to remain in title contention.

“The powers will be there. There are many who can compete and this will be a tough World Cup without a doubt,” he said.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

June 22, 2026 1:10 PM IST