FIFA president Gianni Infantino has tried to downplay the controversies surrounding hydration breaks. One of the new features of this World Cup is the introduction of a double break, in the middle of the first and second halves, lasting three minutes each, to allow players to drink and recover due to high temperatures.
Many, however, have expressed opposition to the new rule. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, for example, has strongly criticised the format from a sporting perspective, arguing that “playing four halves instead of two alters the very concept of football.”
Others have instead seen it as a publicity exercise, a commercial opportunity for FIFA to generate new revenue. Infantino, however, has denied this interpretation, framing the hydration breaks within a “purely sporting context”, with “no additional revenue”.
The FIFA president explained the rationale behind the decision: “What matters most to us is to ensure that all teams, in every match, play under the same conditions,” he said. High temperatures played a role, but so did fixture congestion: “The main reason is the heat,” Infantino added, “but we also need to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, which is played over 39 days with teams potentially playing eight matches in that period, having moments to rest is extremely important.”
All of this follows sporting logic rather than commercial logic. “There are no additional revenues for FIFA,” Infantino added, referring to the hydration breaks. “All commercial agreements were signed well in advance. For us, it is a sporting issue, not a financial one.”
In several countries, including Italy, broadcasters have nevertheless used the two breaks to air commercials, which reportedly achieve very high audience peaks.
According to BBC Sport, a 30-second advertising slot during the World Cup on Fox Sports in the United States can cost over €250,000, rising to around €660,000 for matches involving the United States or the later stages.
In effect, the new FIFA initiative has created a new advertising slot in the market.