Bonus: Are the World Cup's hydration breaks here to stay?

Fifa has introduced mandatory hydration breaks for this World Cup, essentially splitting the games into four quarters. The mandatory three-minute drinks stoppage at all 104 games has been introduced to help players cope with the stifling heat and humidity levels in Mexico, Canada and the United States. It has been criticised for allowing coaches to make tactical changes while broadcasters can - and many have - opted to cut to lucrative commercial breaks while play is halted.

The breaks have also attracted criticism from the likes of the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk and USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Fifa says the measure "is part of a focused attempt to ensure the best possible conditions for players, drawing upon the experiences of previous tournaments, including the recent FIFA Club World Cup."

In a special bonus episode from the More than the Score podcast, the BBC’s Lee James is joined in Toronto by CBC's Olympic and sports commentator Matt Cullen, and BBC football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan, to discuss who benefits from a mid-half break in play - players or broadcasters?

More than the Score brings you more than the men’s football World Cup - the new teams, standout stars, trends and fandoms shaping the tournament in ways the stats don’t show. With 48 teams competing across Mexico, the US and Canada, BBC World Service promises to take you deeper - from the group stages to the final. Search for More than the Score wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(271)

Donald Trump begins the 250th anniversary of US independence

Speaking at Mount Rushmore in the state of South Dakota, President Trump said that the United States would celebrate the American Declaration of Independence of July 4th, 1776 as "one of the most extr...

4 Jul 29min

The Global Story: Abdi’s American Dream

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, The Global Story podcast is exploring the surprising and often hidden ways the US has shaped the modern world. One of the most powerful and enduring A...

3 Jul 32min

Iran prepares 'funeral of century' for late Supreme leader

Foreign dignitaries arrive in Iran for a week of events ahead of the burial of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in strikes launched by the US and Israel. He will be la...

3 Jul 29min

Venezuela: man found alive days after earthquakes

Hernán Gil, a 43-year-old security guard, was found alive under the rubble of a collapsed building more than a week after Venezuela's devastating twin earthquakes. The country's interim President, Del...

3 Jul 29min

Russia launches massive attack on Kyiv

Russian missiles and drones hit Kyiv for 11 hours through the night, killing more than 20 people. Ukraine has accused Moscow of targeting civilian areas, and appealed to its Western allies to send mor...

2 Jul 29min

UN warns children are at risk of exploitation in Venezuela

The United Nations children's agency, UNICEF, has warned that children in Venezuela are at an increased risk of exploitation and trafficking, a week after the country was hit by two devastating earthq...

2 Jul 28min

Fresh evidence of RSF 'atrocities' in Sudan

A report by the rights group Amnesty International has further allegations of atrocities carried out by the Rapid Support Forces when they seized the city of El Fasher last October. The RSF has admitt...

1 Jul 25min

US Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship

The Supreme Court's ruling that babies born in the US have a constitutional right to citizenship is a major setback for President Trump's immigration agenda, and has been welcomed by civil rights grou...

1 Jul 26min