Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni has raised concerns over FIFA’s newly introduced hydration breaks at the 2026 World Cup, saying the stoppages disrupt the rhythm of matches and force teams to rethink their tactical approach.
Speaking ahead of Argentina’s Group J clash against Austria in Dallas on Monday, Scaloni said the mandatory three-minute breaks midway through each half have changed the flow of games and given coaches additional opportunities to make adjustments.
“There are no easy games, especially in the group stage,” Scaloni told reporters on Sunday.
“Historically, and now also with the 48-team format, the group stage has always been hard. Now with the conditions of the heat and the hydration break, the game is stopped constantly.”
The Argentina coach initially suggested that the breaks could benefit underdogs by giving them extra time to regroup.
“Perhaps it gives a hand to the weaker team because they have time to fix things. They have time to adjust,” he said.
Scaloni, however, later clarified that the stoppages can help both teams, particularly those looking to make tactical corrections during the course of a half.
“The ‘four-period’ concept is real. Between the time players arrive and leave, we only have three-and-a-half minutes at halftime to talk to them,” Scaloni said. “Everything that I have in my mind can change depending on these 22 or 23 minutes. We have people analysing the game and we look for solutions. It’s what you do in a normal halftime.”
The 48-year-old admitted that adapting to the new format has not been easy.
“It’s strange to adapt to that. Eventually it will become normal, but right now it feels unusual because the flow of the game is broken up,” he said.
FIFA introduced mandatory hydration breaks at this summer’s World Cup as part of a player welfare initiative amid concerns over high temperatures across several host cities. The breaks are being enforced in every match, regardless of weather conditions.
Argentina head into Monday’s match after a convincing 3-0 win over Algeria in their tournament opener, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick. Austria also began their campaign with a victory, beating Jordan 2-1 to move level on three points in Group J.
Scaloni expects a stern test from Ralf Rangnick’s side as both teams look to take a significant step towards the knockout stages.
“Austria have very good players. They’re a great team, high pressure, a vertical team,” Scaloni said. “We have seen they are an opponent to be taken into account. It will be complicated.”
Despite a number of surprise results in the opening round of fixtures, Scaloni backed the traditional heavyweights to remain in contention for the title.
“The great powers will be there. There are many that can compete and without a doubt this is going to be a tough World Cup,” he said.
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