Miami, June 21 -- Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has criticised the hydration breaks introduced at the FIFA World Cup 2026, arguing that they have changed the very nature of football.

FIFA implemented mandatory three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half due to extreme temperatures across several host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. While the measure has been welcomed by some as a player welfare initiative, it has also sparked debate among coaches, players and traditionalists.

Bielsa was among the most vocal critics ahead of Uruguay's Group-stage clash against Cape Verde on Sunday.

"Playing four times instead of two alters the conception of what had been culturally built to interpret football," Bielsa told...