England head coach Thomas Tuchel has admitted that the mandatory water breaks at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are having a bigger influence on matches than he originally anticipated.
As reported by İdman.Biz, the German coach shared his thoughts in an interview with the BBC, discussing the effect of the new tournament rule introduced to help players cope with hot weather conditions.
"I now think these breaks affect the game more than I first imagined," Tuchel said. "We have seen water breaks before in matches played under extreme heat. They were necessary, but they were shorter and used only in a small number of games."
According to the England manager, the current system significantly changes the rhythm of play.
"Now, for the sake of fairness, it happens in every match. As a result, the game is divided into four parts. That changes the character of the match more than I expected," he added.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, being held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, has introduced mandatory three-minute water breaks midway through each half. The measure was adopted due to concerns about high temperatures and player welfare during the expanded 48-team tournament.
FIFA has already confirmed that the procedure will not be used at the 2028 UEFA European Championship, meaning the World Cup remains a unique testing ground for the initiative.
England are among the favourites for the title and have already secured their place in the knockout stage, with Tuchel continuing to balance performance demands and player management under the tournament's unusual conditions.
