By Adegboyega Adeleye
The impact of heat and mandatory hydration breaks has emerged as one of the biggest talking points at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, with England manager Thomas Tuchel and France midfielder Adrien Rabiot among the latest high-profile figures to voice concerns.
Speaking ahead of England’s opening Group L clash against Croatia, Tuchel insisted he would not alter his team’s playing style because of the challenging conditions, despite temperatures exceeding 30°C in parts of the United States.
“We have a young group. We have a courageous group. We have a brave group of players. So let’s go for it,” Tuchel said, according to BBC Sport.
“I’m just not ready to adapt into a different style of football because of circumstances that we cannot influence. I think we would just give up our strengths.”
The England boss acknowledged that FIFA’s mandatory hydration breaks have changed the rhythm of matches, saying the stoppages can “change the character of each half” while also giving coaches opportunities to “change and reset” and deliver tactical messages to players.
Although England’s opener will be played indoors at Arlington’s air-conditioned stadium, Tuchel admitted the heat has already affected training sessions at the team’s base in Kansas City.
The issue has not been limited to England. Following France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal, Rabiot criticised the playing surface at the New York New Jersey Stadium, better known as MetLife Stadium, which will host the World Cup final on July 19.
“The pitch… I don’t even know if you can call it that. It felt more like an artificial surface — quite hard and quite rigid,” Rabiot said after the match.
The venue, home to NFL sides the New York Giants and New York Jets, has had a temporary grass pitch installed for the tournament, replacing its usual artificial turf.
Rabiot’s concerns echoed those raised by Brazil forward Vinicius Junior after his side’s draw with Morocco.
“In the second half, with the heat, the pitch dries out very quickly. The game becomes very sluggish and we can’t get into our rhythm,” Vinicius said.
The debate has also extended to FIFA’s decision to introduce mandatory three-minute hydration breaks in every half of every match, regardless of venue conditions.
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk questioned the blanket application of the rule after his side’s draw with Japan in air-conditioned conditions in Texas.
“Hydration breaks are a bit interesting,” Van Dijk said. “If it’s really hot, obviously it would be good to put them in. But I think you have to look at it in every game, separately, in my opinion.”
Some critics have argued that the breaks disrupt the flow of matches, while others have pointed to the commercial opportunities created by additional television advertising slots during stoppages.
However, several coaches have admitted the pauses can provide a tactical advantage. Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann revealed the hydration break helped his side reorganise during their 7-1 victory over Curaçao.
“The water break was actually good to simply reiterate what we had already adjusted on the board,” Nagelsmann said.
With matches being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico — countries with vastly different climates and stadium conditions — player welfare, pitch quality and the growing influence of hydration breaks are quickly becoming defining themes of the expanded 48-team World Cup.
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