No additional income for FIFA: President Infantino justifies hydration breaks
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the controversial hydration breaks introduced at the 2026 World Cup, rejecting suggestions the move was driven by commercial interests. The FIFA boss insisted that the mandatory breaks were introduced solely to protect the players and maintain fairness throughout the tournament.
The three-minute breaks in the 22nd and 67th minutes of each match became one of the most discussed novelties of the tournament. attracting criticism from players, coaches and supporters alike.
“There is no additional income for FIFA because all the commercial contracts were signed well in advance. So it is not a financial matter for us. It is a purely sporting matter for us,” Infantino said in a statement on Wednesday. “The main reason is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, which is played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight games in those 39 days, rest time is extremely important.”
Infantino also claimed that the breaks help ensure consistency across competitions, regardless of the weather conditions at different venues.
“It is even more important for us to ensure that all teams play under equal conditions in every match,” he said. “It is very difficult to accept that a coach can have the opportunity to influence a match by adjusting simply because it is warmer, while in another match where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity.
The FIFA president further claimed that the stoppages did not negatively affect the quality or intensity of the matches, suggesting that the players continued to perform at a high level despite the interruptions.
WHY DOES HYDRATION BREAK OUT CONTROVERSY?
Hydration breaks were introduced before the tournament to help players cope with the intense North American summer conditions. However, their implementation has sparked extensive debate outside of player interests. How hydration breaks caused a momentum shift in games (Photo: Screen grab from X/@Odriozolite)
Critics pointed to the additional advertising inventory created during the mandatory three-minute breaks, broadcasters insert commercial breaks during breaks in play. This development led many fans to question whether commercial considerations played a role in the decision, despite repeated denials by FIFA.
The breaks also changed the course of matches by giving coaches the opportunity to pass tactical instructions mid-game. Opponents of the measure argue that it fundamentally changes the rhythm and nature of football, a sport traditionally played in two uninterrupted 45-minute halves.
Among the most vocal critics was England manager Thomas Tuchel, who said the extra time-outs “interrupt and change the identity of a football match”. Uruguay’s head coach has been a vocal critic of hydration breaks at the 2026 FIFA World Cup (screenshot from X/@DCs_FootballTv)
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa echoed similar concerns, he argues that splitting matches into shorter segments takes away one of football’s defining characteristics and risks changing the nature of the sport.
However, not everyone opposed the move. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk supported the principle of hydration breaks in extreme temperatures, but questioned the need for their universal use, especially in colder venues and stadiums with a roof.
With temperatures expected to remain a major theme throughout the tournament, the debate over hydration breaks is unlikely to disappear anytime soon. So far, FIFA remains firm in its stance that player welfare and competitive balance – rather than commercial profit – are the driving force behind the policy.
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Published on:
24 Jun 2026 20:29 IST