Marcelo Bielsa blasts World Cup hydration breaks: ‘Adds nothing but takes away a lot’
Marcelo Bielsa has criticised the introduction of hydration breaks at this World Cup (Reuters)
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa criticised the introduction of hydration breaks at this summer’s World Cup, arguing the stoppages in play marked a “change of culture” which “adds nothing” to the sport.
Fifa has introduced mandatory three-minute drinks breaks at the halfway point of each half, ostensibly due to sweltering temperatures across many host cities in the tournament spanning the United States, Mexico and Canada.
But the breaks have come in for widespread criticism for artificially changing the momentum of games, as well as for allowing yet more opportunities for advertising, while balmy temperatures in several games so far have rendered them unnecessary.
Bielsa said splitting football into four quarters was against the spirit of the sport.
He told reporters: “Playing four times instead of two alters the conception of what had been culturally built to interpret football.
“This change of culture does not add anything and takes away a lot. I will just say that before this decision, football had a characteristic, now it has another. People fall in love with the game because of its characteristics.
“Of course technology like VAR, we commend it and value it. Technology offers more opportunities. There is another intention for the breaks and the conclusions I’m making here are not really my own. I also echo what I hear as well.”
Uruguay play Cape Verde in their second game on Sunday with the tightly contested group finely poised with all four teams on one point each.
Cape Verde held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw with a defensive masterclass and Bielsa said Uruguay would learn their lessons from the low defensive block they came up against in the 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia.
Darwin Nunez was criticised for his performance against Saudi Arabia (Getty)
He said: “We did have a lot of possession and very few chances created in the first half. In the second half, it was agile and offensive possession, dynamic in nature with a high level of mobility.”
Uruguay’s Darwin Nunez was largely neutralised by Saudi Arabia, with the striker taking only one shot before he was taken off at halftime, earning criticism for his performance.
The 26-year-old looks set to be dropped having not scored in his last 14 appearances for Uruguay but Bielsa said it was not an issue with confidence.
“Any footballer who is taking part at the World Cup doesn’t need any motivation,” he said. “The consequences, the scope, the magnificence of such a high-calibre tournament – anyone taking part makes them highly driven and justifiably so.”
On a lighter note, Bielsa brushed off the suggestion that his players might emulate Spain’s Marc Cucurella, who has vowed to get a tattoo of coach Luis de la Fuente if they win the World Cup.
“This is not going to happen,” he said emphatically, prompting laughter.
World Cup Hydration Breaks Spark Fan Controversy
World Cup Hydration Breaks Spark Fan Controversy
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA implemented hydration breaks during the game to combat the extreme heat. They decided to do the same in 2026, in anticipation of similar conditions in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
About two weeks into the tournament, fan backlash for these breaks has increased for a number of reasons. While everyone is for player safety, fans grow cynical about the true intentions of these breaks.
First is that every match has two hydration breaks (one in each half) regardless of temperature. Matches played in indoor stadiums or cooler climates still have them, even when deemed unnecessary. Fans feel that this disrupts the flow of the game and gives the losing team a potential advantage. The breaks essentially serve as a timeout, giving teams the ability to make organized adjustments, rather than having to do so on the fly like a typical game.
Second are the advertisements crammed into the 3-minute break. Commercials during a live soccer match are almost considered blasphemous, and fans feel this is a money grab rather than a support of player safety. We’ve seen networks experiment with adding commercials to broadcasts like NFL Redzone, which previously had none. Once you break the seal, the end-goal becomes how much you can get away with.
As the tournament continues, FIFA shows no signs of reconsidering the policy, leaving fans to wonder whether the breaks will become a permanent fixture of international soccer or a one-off experiment born out of necessity. The frustration isn’t really about the few minutes lost from each match. Fans know about the dangers of heat stroke with intense exercise. They’d be more than happy to sacrifice a few minutes to make sure everyone is safe and healthy. But once a “safety measure” starts looking like a profit center, fans start questioning every future decision through that same lens.
