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Jurgen Klopp has slammed FIFA’s cooling breaks at the 2026 World Cup, claiming football is being turned into an advertising show and players are paying the price.
Jurgen Klopp (Picture credit: AFP)
Jurgen Klopp may have stepped away from the touchline, but the former Liverpool boss clearly hasn’t lost his appetite for a strong opinion.
The outspoken German has launched a scathing attack on FIFA’s cooling-break policy at the 2026 World Cup, arguing that what is presented as a player welfare measure is increasingly becoming a commercial opportunity that disrupts the flow of the game.
Speaking on German broadcaster ZDF, Klopp took aim at the mandatory hydration breaks that FIFA continues to implement during matches played in extreme heat across North America.
The rule, first introduced at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, allows for a three-minute stoppage when temperatures reach at least 32 degrees Celsius.
While FIFA maintains that the breaks are designed to protect players from dangerous conditions, Klopp believes there is far more at play.
“Football is being held hostage by executives ensconced in air-conditioned offices,” Klopp said, according to L’Equipe.
The 58-year-old questioned whether the interruptions genuinely serve the interests of players and supporters, or whether they have evolved into convenient television windows for advertisers.
Describing the breaks as a supposed “shield for player well-being” and a “noble sword against the heat,” Klopp argued they are now “nothing more than a gilded cage built for sponsors.”
His biggest concern is the effect on the rhythm of matches.
“When I saw the players just standing there during a heat break while TV timeouts dictated the rhythm of the match, I couldn’t help asking myself: who does the World Cup really serve? The fans? The players? Or the advertisers?”
Klopp compared the interruptions to obstacles in football’s natural flow.
“A World Cup match should flow like a river. Instead, we build dams right in the middle so commercials can get through.”
The former Borussia Dortmund manager warned that football risks losing its identity if commercial interests continue to dictate how matches are staged.
“Football used to be the main event, but now it risks becoming the background music to an advertising show.”
And Klopp’s message was simple: the game itself must remain front and centre.
“The ball is supposed to be the star. Football must not become an interruption between ads.”
About the Author
After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His…Read More
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