Scaloni Slams World Cup 2026 Water Breaks as Unfair Advantage for Weaker Teams

How Cooling Breaks Could Shape the 2026 FIFA World Cup

According to Главком: Lionel Scaloni, head coach of Argentina's national team, has voiced strong criticism of the hydration pauses planned for the 2026 World Cup. He argues that these breaks, introduced to combat extreme heat, disproportionately benefit underdog sides by allowing them to regroup and regain energy. This is a significant concern for top-tier teams that rely on early-match intensity to dominate opponents.

“The group stage has always been tough. Now you add the heat on top of that. And these constant water breaks help the weaker team recover. Everything we prepared before the match can change based on the first 22-23 minutes. Normally, we make adjustments in the locker room at halftime. Now we have to do it in three minutes on the field,” Scaloni explained.

Ukrainian Broadcast Rights for the 2026 World Cup

In Ukraine, the streaming platform Megogo has secured the official broadcasting rights for the 2026 World Cup. The service will air every match of the tournament with commentary in Ukrainian. Megogo has also announced plans to produce over 90 pre- and post-match studio shows. All games will be accessible on its OTT platform via the 'Sport' or 'Megopack' subscriptions. Additionally, one match per game day will be available for free on the 'Megogo Sport' TV channel.

2026 World Cup Match Schedule

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place from June 11 to July 19. The group stage features 12 groups, labeled A through L, with the following fixtures:

• Group A – Match Schedule:
  • June 11, 22:00: Mexico vs. South Africa
  • June 12, 05:00: South Korea vs. Czech Republic
  • June 18, 19:00: Czech Republic vs. South Africa
  • June 19, 04:00: Mexico vs. South Korea
  • June 25, 04:00: Czech Republic vs. Mexico
  • June 25, 04:00: South Africa vs. South Korea
• Group B – Match Schedule:
  • June 12, 22:00: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • June 13, 22:00: Qatar vs. Switzerland
  • June 18, 22:00: Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • June 19, 01:00: Canada vs. Qatar
  • June 24, 22:00: Switzerland vs. Canada
  • June 24, 22:00: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar
• Group C – Match Schedule:
  • June 14, 01:00: Brazil vs. Morocco
  • June 14, 04:00: Haiti vs. Scotland
  • June 20, 01:00: Scotland vs. Morocco
  • June 20, 03:30: Brazil vs. Haiti
  • June 25, 01:00: Scotland vs. Brazil
  • June 25, 01:00: Morocco vs. Haiti
• Group D – Match Schedule:
  • June 13, 04:00: USA vs. Paraguay
  • June 14, 07:00: Australia vs. Turkey
  • June 19, 22:00: USA vs. Australia
  • June 20, 06:00: Turkey vs. Paraguay
  • June 26, 05:00: Turkey vs. USA
  • June 26, 05:00: Paraguay vs. Australia
• Group E – Match Schedule:
  • June 14, 20:00: Germany vs. Curaçao
  • June 15, 02:00: Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador
  • June 20, 23:00: Germany vs. Ivory Coast
  • June 21, 03:00: Ecuador vs. Curaçao
  • June 25, 23:00: Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast
  • June 25, 23:00: Ecuador vs. Germany
• Group F – Match Schedule:
  • June 14, 23:00: Netherlands vs. Japan
  • June 15, 05:00: Sweden vs. Tunisia
  • June 20, 20:00: Netherlands vs. Sweden
  • June 21, 07:00: Tunisia vs. Japan
  • June 26, 02:00: Japan vs. Sweden
  • June 26, 02:00: Tunisia vs. Netherlands
• Group G – Match Schedule:
  • June 15, 22:00: Belgium vs. Egypt
  • June 16, 04:00: Iran vs. New Zealand
  • June 21, 22:00: Belgium vs. Iran
  • June 22, 04:00: New Zealand vs. Egypt
  • June 27, 06:00: Egypt vs. Iran
  • June 27, 06:00: New Zealand vs. Belgium
• Group H – Match Schedule:
  • June 15, 19:00: Spain vs. Cape Verde
  • June 16, 01:00: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay
  • June 21, 19:00: Spain vs. Saudi Arabia
  • June 22, 01:00: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde
  • June 27, 03:00: Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia
  • June 27, 03:00: Uruguay vs. Spain
• Group I – Match Schedule:
  • June 16, 22:00: France vs. Senegal
  • June 17, 01:00: Iraq vs. Norway
  • June 23, 00:00: France vs. Iraq
  • June 23, 03:00: Norway vs. Senegal
  • June 26, 22:00: Norway vs. France
  • June 26, 22:00: Senegal vs. Iraq
• Group J – Match Schedule:
  • June 17, 04:00: Argentina vs. Algeria
  • June 17, 07:00: Austria vs. Jordan
  • June 22, 20:00: Argentina vs. Austria
  • June 23, 06:00: Jordan vs. Algeria
  • June 28, 05:00: Algeria vs. Austria
  • June 28, 05:00: Jordan vs. Argentina
• Group K – Match Schedule:
  • June 17, 20:00: Portugal vs. DR Congo
  • June 18, 05:00: Uzbekistan vs. Colombia
  • June 23, 20:00: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
  • June 24, 05:00: Colombia vs. DR Congo
  • June 28, 02:30: Colombia vs. Portugal
  • June 28, 02:30: DR Congo vs. Uzbekistan
• Group L – Match Schedule:
  • June 17, 23:00: England vs. Croatia
  • June 18, 02:00: Ghana vs. Panama
  • June 23, 23:00: England vs. Ghana
  • June 24, 02:00: Panama vs. Croatia
  • June 28, 00:00: Panama vs. England
  • June 28, 00:00: Croatia vs. Ghana

Preliminary Round of 32 fixtures:

• June 28, 22:00: Group A runner-up vs. Group B runner-up
• June 29, 20:00: Group C winner vs. Group F runner-up
• June 29, 23:30: Group E winner vs. Third place from Groups A/B/C/D/F
• June 30, 04:00: Group F winner vs. Group C runner-up
• June 30, 20:00: Group E runner-up vs. Group I runner-up
• July 1, 00:00: Group I winner vs. Third place from Groups C/D/F/G/H
• July 1, 04:00: Group A winner vs. Third place from Groups C/E/F/H/I
• July 1, 19:00: Group L winner vs. Third place from Groups E/H/I/J/K
• July 1, 23:00: Group G winner vs. Third place from Groups A/E/H/I/J
• July 2, 03:00: Group D winner vs. Third place from Groups B/E/F/I/J

Preliminary Round of 16 fixtures:

• July 2, 22:00: Group H winner vs. Group J runner-up
• July 3, 02:00: Group K runner-up vs. Group L runner-up
• July 3, 06:00: Group B winner vs. Third place from Groups E/F/G/I/J
• July 3, 21:00: Group D runner-up vs. Group G runner-up

Preliminary Quarterfinal fixtures:

• July 4, 01:00: Group J winner vs. Group H runner-up
• July 4, 04:30: Group K winner vs. Third place from Groups D/E/I/J/L

Preliminary Semifinal fixtures:

• July 4, 20:00: Winner of Round of 32 match 1 vs. Winner of Round of 32 match 4
• July 5, 00:00: Winner of Round of 32 match 3 vs. Winner of Round of 32 match 6

The final is scheduled for July 19 at 22:00.

Scaloni’s remarks highlight the critical role of adapting to game conditions, especially extreme heat, which could dramatically alter match outcomes. With the tournament taking place in summer, water breaks may prove decisive for teams with fewer resources. The official Ukrainian broadcast via Megogo ensures fans can follow every game, boosting football’s popularity in the country and attracting new audiences to the sport.

As discussions around the tournament intensify, it's important to note that FIFA has also taken steps to regulate fan behavior, as evidenced by their recent decision to ban flags featuring submarine imagery from stadiums. This move highlights the ongoing efforts to maintain order and fairness during the World Cup, paralleling concerns raised by Scaloni regarding the impact of hydration breaks on competitive balance. For more details on this latest development, check out our coverage of FIFA's restrictions on fan flags.