World Cup final extended half-time break could increase player injury risk, expert warns

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The Independent

16 July 2026

An extended half-time interval at Sunday’s

World Cup final

could significantly elevate players’ risk of injury and diminish their on-field performance, a leading physiology expert has cautioned.

The highly anticipated clash between

Argentina and Spain

at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is set to feature a half-time break lasting between 25 and 30 minutes.

This extended period is largely due to Fifa’s plans for an 11-minute, star-studded entertainment show during the interval, a duration that directly contravenes the sport’s regulations, which stipulate a maximum 15-minute break.

Dr Liam Harper, a senior lecturer in physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Sport, expressed concerns about the physiological impact on athletes.

He told the Press Association: "We know a 15-minute half-time period is enough to reduce muscle temperatures back towards resting levels."

Lamine Yamal could be a key player in the

World Cup

final for

Spain

(Getty)

Dr Harper elaborated that elevated muscle temperature is crucial for optimal performance, being "associated with increased power output and rate of force development, hence why warming up is effective not only from an injury risk reduction perspective, but also an enhanced physical performance perspective." He warned that with the break being extended, this reduction in muscle temperature "will be potentially more pronounced”.

While acknowledging that players are somewhat accustomed to longer gaps before kick-off – often around 30 minutes between their initial warm-up and the game starting – Dr Harper highlighted the specific challenges of a mid-game break.

He noted that a standard 15-minute half-time would provide ample time for refuelling, rehydrating, and crucially, cooling down core temperatures, especially with match-day temperatures expected to reach around 30 degrees Celsius.

However, Dr Harper conceded that the 30-minute break might offer some benefits, providing a greater opportunity for players to refuel, particularly with carbohydrates, and rehydrate. From a coaching perspective, this extended period could also prove advantageous.

To mitigate the negative effects, he suggested Fifa could allow players a two to four-minute ‘re-warm up’ before the second half.

"Doing a re warm-up has been shown to be beneficial for sprint and jump performance versus not doing any sort of physical re warm-up prior to the second half," he explained.

Additionally, he proposed that "using foam rollers and massage guns (percussive therapy) may be a beneficial way to maintain range of motion, neuromuscular efficiency and just a general feeling of ‘staying loose’ and there is some data to support this."

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