World Cup 2026: Verdez defends cooling breaks as press criticizes them

Gilles Verdez is one of the rare voices defending the cooling breaks introduced by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup, at a time when the measure is drawing widespread criticism in the sports press.

For this edition of the World Cup, FIFA has instituted an interruption in the middle of each half, officially to allow players to hydrate and recover. In practice, these stoppages also provide broadcasters with an additional advertising window, which most journalists covering the competition are denouncing.

On RTL radio, Verdez took a firm stance: “I love the cooling break, it’s a fantastic innovation of this World Cup. I don’t care at all about the business side. My only concern is the health of the players.” The 61-year-old journalist puts forward other arguments in favor of these breaks: they give supporters the chance to take stock early on, and give coaches the opportunity to relay tactical instructions during play.

This position comes in a turbulent personal context for Verdez, who recently fueled rumors of departing Cyril Hanouna’s show. Since the end of the season of Tout beau tout neuf, he has devoted his evenings to World Cup coverage, appearing each evening at 8 p.m. on Éric Silvestro’s RTL show, alongside notably Alain Boghossian, Jean Resseguié, SoAnne and Dave Appadoo.

The controversy over cooling breaks illustrates a recurring tension in major competitions between commercial imperatives and sporting interest — a debate that the 2026 World Cup, organized in the middle of the North American summer, is far from settling.