Marcelo Bielsa criticizes the 'drinking break' at the World Cup: 'Nothing is added, a lot is missing'
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa has questioned three-minute drinking breaks at the 2026 World Cup, saying it changes the culture of the game and breaks the flow of the match.
Marcelo Bielsa has hit out at the implementation of drinking breaks at the 2026 World Cup, with the Uruguay coach insisting that the three-minute break midway through each half changes the very culture of football and does not add value to the game.
FIFA implemented a mandatory three-minute break in the middle of each half, allegedly due to extreme temperatures in host cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. But it drew criticism for allegedly destroying the natural flow and momentum of the match, and even opening up extra space for commercials—while in some mild-weather matches, they didn't seem necessary.
For Bielsa, dividing the game into four phases is against the spirit of the sport. He said: "Playing four times instead of two changes the understanding of the culture that has been formed to understand football. This cultural change adds nothing and loses a lot. Before this decision, football had a unique character; now, it's different. That's what people love about the game—those characteristics. Of course, like VAR, we praise and value the technology. It offers more opportunities. But breaks have other purposes, and it's not just a conclusion of its own. I—I also repeat what I hear.”
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://s.yimg.com/os/en/the_independent_us_sports_articles_270/811f49eb6736a20769137780f4808d2f" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>Uruguay will face Cape Verde in their second match on Sunday, in a tight group after four teams tied on one point each. After Cape Verde held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw with solid defence, Bielsa said they will learn from the low block experienced in their 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia.
At issue was the performance of Darwin Núñez, who was criticized after recording just one save before being substituted at halftime against Saudi Arabia. The 26-year-old has not scored in the last 14 games for Uruguay and could drop out of the starting eleven, but Bielsa insists confidence is not an issue: "Any player participating in the World Cup does not need to be pumped up. The implications, the scope and the magnitude of this kind of tournament—any participant is naturally motivated and motivated enough."
In light-hearted conversation, Bielsa laughed off the suggestion that someone would tattoo his players, just as Marc Cucurella promised to tattoo coach Luis de la Fuente if Spain won the title. He said, emphatically: "It won't happen," causing laughter from the presser.
