USMNT's Bizarre Water Break Tactic Could Revolutionize World Cup—Will FIFA Allow It?

U.S. national team manager Mauricio Pochettino broke out a laptop at the hydration break.

FIFA has not determined whether teams can use laptops during hydration breaks, as the USMNT did on Sunday. | TNT Sports/Peacock

The rules of soccer are ever-changing, and the U.S. men’s national team is embracing that fact as manager Mauricio Pochettino leads them into the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The USMNT picked up a confidence-boosting 3–2 win over Senegal in their first of two pre-tournament friendlies on Sunday, during which the 54-year-old Argentine boss opted to whip out his laptop at the brief, three-minute water break, a tactic seldom used by any coaches before.

Midway through the first half, at the first of two mandatory hydration breaks that FIFA has implemented, Pochettino had analyst Alec Scott hold the laptop in his hand. The players gathered around Pochettino as he quickly guided them through a brief tactical analysis. 

“I think it’s very helpful for the players to see actions,” Pochettino said after the match, which saw Christian Pulisic score a goal and an assist in a return to form. “It’s not only to tell what you want (them) to improve, or what they need to do. When they see the image, it’s really important now.”

Hydration breaks were first introduced to the game ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as a method to combat rising temperatures in which games are played across the world. Often, they are used only when temperatures reach unbearable levels, but at the 2026 World Cup, they will also serve as three-minute advertising breaks, effectively splitting the game into four quarters rather than two halves. 

In the past, players have often huddled along the sideline to take in water and receive light treatment, with few words from the coaching staff. Pochettino’s new tactic, though, could revolutionize the game—if it’s allowed. 

“We’ll see now in the World Cup if they can allow that,” Pochettino said.

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Why the USMNT Might Abandon Tactic

Mauricio Pochettino isn’t sure if he can use the laptop at the World Cup. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images

There is no official guidance from FIFA on whether or not the USMNT and other teams may use technology during hydration breaks. It’s commonplace for players and analysts to use tablets on the bench, but entire coaching sessions have yet to be officially regulated. 

That’s a factor that could change at the World Cup, as FIFA adapts the rules to keep pace with the game's evolution. Other factors to consider are whether or not players can leave the official field of play in these hydration breaks and whether or not there is a limit to the technology usage, as teams may be encouraged to use more significant methods than just laptop videos. 

On Sunday, a screenshot of Pochettino’s tactic went viral, and in the moment, fans on the TNT broadcast could hear his tactical instructions before a staff member stepped in front of the camera and asked him to leave the meeting. 

Mid-game tactical sessions aren’t new. For most teams, halftime looks like a quick physical assessment and an emotional check-in, before lead analysts—oftentimes not managers—review key tactical components from the opening half. With the new breaks, there’s now more opportunity to do that, albeit in a more condensed format. 

Will the tactic continue for the USMNT? That remains to be seen. It was potentially only used as the 26-man squad continue to acclimate to each other ahead of the tournament.

The USMNT will play a final pre-World Cup friendly on Saturday against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago, before opening up the 2026 World Cup group stage on June 12 in Los Angeles against Paraguay.

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