Water breaks “don’t add anything”

Uruguay’s coach, Argentine Marcelo Bielsa, criticized the water breaks imposed in all 2026 World Cup football matches, considering that they “add nothing and take away a lot” from football.

The coach said regarding this new procedure imposed by FIFA in the finals hosted by North America, with the aim of combating the high temperature that affects the players by giving them a three-minute break and hydration: “Playing in four periods instead of two periods changes the concept of football itself.”

Bielsa added: “The consequences were not thought about, but rather about another type of repercussions,” referring to the large profits generated from television advertisements.