Published on 6/24/2026
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended the decision to adopt short pauses during the 2026 World Cup matches, stressing that this step may have contributed to raising the pace of matches and increasing excitement inside the stadium.
Infantino explained, in statements to SNTV, that the International Federation will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the experience after the end of the tournament before making a decision regarding its adoption in future competitions, noting that these periods gave coaches an opportunity to reorganize their teams and correct some mistakes during the match.
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The FIFA president said: “The players get a rest and then return with full energy to the field. This may not be a bad thing, but it may be a good thing,” adding that the matches witnessed high levels of competitive intensity until the final seconds.
He continued: “We see teams attacking until the end of the match, and perhaps part of that is due to this short break, which allows the players to regain their energy and then return to giving their best.”
We don’t make a single dollar from this
The stoppage system sparked widespread controversy among fans and followers, especially since it was applied in all matches, regardless of climatic conditions or the type of stadiums, including covered and air-conditioned stadiums.
The FIFA president also denied that the goal of these pauses was to generate additional revenues from television advertisements, stressing that the commercial contracts for broadcasting were concluded before the decision was taken, and that the International Federation did not achieve any additional revenues as a result of this step. He stated, “I heard a lot that this decision was taken in order to make money. We do not earn a single dollar from the pauses, because all the contracts were concluded before this decision was taken.”
Infantino responded to these criticisms by stressing that the decision aims to ensure justice among all teams, explaining that implementing stoppages in some matches and not others may give a technical advantage to some teams and coaches.
