Gianni Infantino defends 'equal conditions' hydration breaks despite mass criticism

[p]The three-minute pauses that were introduced for this summer's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico to allow players to take on fluids during extreme temperatures have been met with mass criticism. [/p][p]Many have claimed the breaks are purely for extra ad revenue whilst other have stated they are pointless due to lower temperatures at some venues which also have air conditioned stadiums. [/p][p]The break was met with boos from fans during England’s clash with Ghana on Tuesday night, something that is now a regular occurrence. [/p][p]Now, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/infantino-gino/pn7nWiwS/"]Infantino[/a] has backed the breaks which he claims are there to make the game more equal. [/p][p]“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. [/p][p][b]“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. [/b][/p][embed guid="d4c45ead-ad15-402c-85a8-942f565a1150" url="https://x.com/centregoals/status/2069199690860544023?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]“What matters even more to us is ensuring that all teams, in every match, are playing under the same conditions. [/p][p][b]“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. [/b][/p][p][b]“We want to ensure equal conditions for everyone and that’s why these breaks are implemented in every match.” [/b][/p][p]According to the BBC, experts suggest that an average 30-second World Cup advertising slot on American broadcaster Fox Sports would cost between $200,000 (£152,000) and $300,000 (£227,000) in what is a huge moneymaker for FIFA. [/p]