An unusual incident during the opening match of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa has raised questions about player health versus commercial interests. Renowned journalist Romain Molina reported on his social media page on X that the match’s main referee, Wilton Sampaio, was compelled to extend a cooling break beyond the designated time to accommodate a commercial break by FOX.
Despite the players being ready to resume play, the referee was instructed to keep them off the pitch until the commercial concluded. This decision ultimately resulted in the match restarting before the ads finished, causing some viewers to miss the initial moments of the game.
Fans took to social media to express their frustration, directing their criticism at FIFA. The introduction of “cooling breaks” was originally intended to protect players’ health, but many are arguing that financial gain has taken precedence in this scenario.