Hydration breaks at World Cup not well-received, says Arsene Wenger
What's the story
Fifa's head of global football development, Arsene Wenger, has admitted that the newly introduced hydration breaks at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have not been well-received. The governing body had mandated three-minute hydration breaks for all matches in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The decision was made as part of a commitment to player welfare but has faced criticism over its commercial implications.
Controversy
We will analyze the impact later, says Wenger
Wenger acknowledged that "sometimes people didn't like" the hydration breaks, adding that Fifa will "analyze after the World Cup what the impact was."
He noted that while it didn't seem to change match outcomes, they are here to serve football fans and will draw conclusions later.
As the tournament progressed, fans even booed these breaks due to their disruptive nature.
Financial impact
Critics slam broadcasters for using breaks to air commercials
Critics have pointed out that broadcasters are using these breaks as opportunities for commercials.
As per BBC Sport, an average 30-second World Cup ad slot on Fox Sports in the US costs between $200,000 and $300,000, and can go up to $750,000 during USA matches and later stages.
Despite their commercial value, European football body Uefa has ruled out introducing these breaks while England manager Thomas Tuchel earlier expressed his disapproval of them.
Managerial views
Varied opinions on hydration breaks in international football
While England's manager Thomas Tuchel criticized the hydration breaks for "interrupt and change the identity of a football match," Spain's boss Luis de la Fuente supported them.
He said he was always concerned about his players' health and believed it was the right measure to take a pause, freshen up, and continue.
This highlights the varied opinions on this new rule in international football.
Expansion approval
Wenger backs expansion of World Cup to 48 teams
Wenger also spoke in favor of the World Cup's expansion from 32 to 48 teams, calling it a success.
He said it was ethically needed to give more teams a chance and he was convinced it was the right decision.
"It was questioned before it started but we found it was ethically needed to give a chance to more teams. I am convinced it was the right decision and it was a great success," he said.