FIFA has reacted to controversies building up around the newly introduced strict hydration breaks at this year’s World Cup.

The hydration break is not new in the tournament; however, before it was observed in a game with extreme conditions. With the newly introduced one, a three-minute mandatory hydration break is to be observed every half of the 90-minute game.

This has sparked widespread reaction from pundits, coaches and the general public, with narratives that it's a revenue stunt by FIFA, where they take the break to make ads.

According to experts' information to BBC Sport, an average 30-second World Cup advertising slot on Fox Sports costs between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000), rising to $750,000 (£567,000) during USA matches and the final stages.

That means advertising during hydration breaks is likely to generate more than $250m (£189m) in the USA alone.

Reacting to these claims, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has denied clarifying that the breaks are "purely a sporting matter" and bring "no additional revenue for FIFA", he said.

Detailing further, he indicated that the breaks have been introduced to give players good hydration to help them cope with extreme heat during the tournament in North America.

Infantino explained that one of the main reasons for having breaks in every match is to create "equal conditions" for all competing nations.

He said: "There is no additional revenue for FIFA, as all commercial agreements were signed well in advance.This is not a financial issue for us. For us, it is purely a sporting matter.

"The main reason [for the breaks] is the heat, but we also have to understand that in a competition like the World Cup, played over 39 days, with teams potentially playing eight matches in those 39 days, having a moment to rest is extremely important.

"What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions”, he continued.

He went on to question some assertions that the three-minute break has the potency to influence the tempo of the game or the dynamics of it.

"And it's very difficult to accept that a coach might have the opportunity to influence a match by making adjustments simply because it is hotter, while in another match, where the temperature is slightly lower, the same coach does not have the same opportunity.

"We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone, and that's why these breaks are implemented in every match."

Meanwhile, ahead of the game, England coach Thomas Tuchel had stated that the hydration breaks "change the characteristic of the match more than I thought".

Despite acknowledging the breaks are important to the team and himself as a coach, Tuchel said,“I like it as a coach, of course, to have influence and have my team together, but overall I think I like football more when it’s played in one go, in one half, because it builds momentum. It’s hard to build momentum, and it’s hard to keep the momentum… it just adds to the characteristic of the beautiful game, and it (hydration break) takes away from it.”

Other coaches, including Mauricio Pochettino (USMNT Coach), Spanish coach, Luis de la Fuente and Enzo Maresca.

Mauricio Pochettino said, “I don’t like it; I only like it when the conditions are extreme. But when the conditions are good, it is unnecessary.” Spain’s coach, Luis de la Fuente, took a more balanced view, acknowledging the importance of protecting players in difficult conditions.

He explained: “Hydration breaks are useful when the heat is extreme, because they protect the health of the players. But in cooler stadiums, they may not always be necessary.”

Enzo Maresca also expressed his opinion during the 2025 Club World Cup while he was still coach for Chelsea, citing that the hydration breaks.

“When the conditions are that severe, you have no choice but to stop. Hydration breaks are introduced for this reason to safeguard players when the temperature becomes unsafe.”