The new dynamics of the World Cup became one of the tournament's first topics of discussion, with mandatory stops changing the perception of the games for players, coaches and fans. FIFA introduced these breaks as a measure to protect athletes during a summer tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Gary Neville and Roy Keane have expressed concerns that football is adopting a parade format that is more similar to the American sport than the sport they once knew. Speaking on The Overlap on Instagram, Neville stated that FIFA needs to act quickly as teams are using hydration breaks for more than simply drinking water. "I think FIFA is going to have to act quickly. If it's a drink break, there has to be an element of: coaches have to stay on the bench, they can't bring tactical boards onto the pitch. I think there was a game where they showed a video of a play! And then there was a tactical board on the pitch," said Neville.
He added: "It's effectively a mini break, four parts. I'm surprised they didn't impose it quickly, and I think it's an advertising break in disguise." FIFA rules imply that all games have a three-minute stoppage, approximately halfway through each half. The problem raised by Neville is that coaches can use these minutes to tactically reconfigure their team, while broadcasters get natural commercial space.
Keane, in turn, focused more on the essence of the sport itself than on tactics. "They disguised it as a hydration break. But even then, people will have different arguments about why they love different sports," Keane said. "We love football because of the speed of the game. You don't want to go to the bathroom, you might miss something! In other sports, you say: 'listen, we can go out, maybe we won't lose too much,'" added the Irishman. The point raised was about the continuity of the game. For Keane, the tension of football comes from long uninterrupted periods where an opportunity can arise without warning, and scheduled breaks risk interrupting that flow.
The debate has become more acute because breaks are mandatory and not just triggered by excessive heat. This means that even games in milder conditions or in climate-controlled stadiums can be split into four halves, leaving critics feeling the tournament is being shaped as much by television viewing habits as by player safety. FIFA does not need to eliminate pauses to address the issue. Neville's demand is simple: if the break is for hydration, it should be kept as such, and not turned into disguised time for teams and advertisers.