FIFA will conduct a “deep analysis” of the mandatory three-minute hydration breaks that have become one of the most contentious features of the 2026 World Cup, Arsène Wenger, the governing body’s head of global football development, confirmed on the eve of the final between Spain and Argentina. Speaking at a pre-match briefing in New York, the former Arsenal manager acknowledged that the breaks, introduced in every match irrespective of temperature or stadium roof, “were not universally popular” and that the organisation would “analyse after the World Cup what the impact was” before deciding on their future.

The policy, which effectively split each half into two quarters, was justified by FIFA as a commitment to player welfare in a tournament staged across the climatically diverse host nations of the United States, Mexico and Canada. Yet from the opening round, the stoppages drew jeers from supporters, particularly in covered venues where heat stress was not a factor. Broadcasters, especially in the North American market, were quick to exploit the intervals: industry data cited by analysts in London showed that a 30-second advertising slot during key matches fetched up to $750,000, reinforcing suspicions that commercial logic had driven the innovation as much as medical advice.

Coaching reactions across the competing confederations laid bare the split. Spain’s Luis de la Fuente welcomed the respite for players labouring in extreme heat, while England’s Thomas Tuchel argued the breaks “interrupt and change the identity of a football match” far more than anticipated. The most stinging rebuke came from South America, where Uruguay’s Marcelo Bielsa said the pauses had “added nothing to football while destroying the sport’s cultural essence.” Wenger himself conceded that in many games, especially those under a closed roof, “people were not happy,” but insisted the uniform application was necessary to avoid discrepancies between fixtures played in radically different conditions.

The review will unfold against the backdrop of a tournament that also saw the expansion to 48 teams, a change Wenger described as “ethically needed” and a “great success.” For the hydration breaks, however, the post-tournament audit will weigh medical necessity against the integrity of the spectacle. The final at MetLife Stadium, where the roof is expected to be open, will provide one last data point before FIFA’s analysts begin their work.