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The U.S. men's national team turned heads on Sunday when head coach Mauricio Pochettino opened his laptop just 22 minutes into an international friendly against Senegal, gathering his players around the screen to review tactics and footage during the first half's brief water break—a move that could very well reshape how teams approach the upcoming World Cup this summer.
The spectacle of nearly 30 perspiring players hunched over a small screen quickly went viral online, drawing widespread mockery—with even the national team itself getting in on the joke.
The USMNT went on to beat 14th-ranked Senegal 3–2, however, and the jokes soon gave way to a more serious question: "Hold on—are the U.S. actually onto something here?"
FIFA has introduced two mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks per World Cup match this summer, scheduled to occur midway through each half. Hydration breaks were originally brought into the sport ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to help players cope with extreme heat. Typically reserved for dangerously high temperatures, the breaks at the 2026 World Cup will also double as three-minute commercial intervals, effectively dividing matches into four quarters instead of two halves.
Traditionally, these water breaks have simply offered players a moment to recover, stretch, and receive brief instructions from the coaching staff; however, Pochettino has since demonstrated that a full tactical session can be conducted within that compact window.
"I think it's very helpful for the players to see actions," Pochettino said following the match. "It's not only about telling them what you want them to improve, or what they need to do. When they see the image, it's really important now."
While the approach paid off in the friendly, Pochettino was unsure whether FIFA would permit him to continue using this water break method in competitive fixtures, noting, "We'll see now in the World Cup if they can allow that." It has since been confirmed that Pochettino's approach is within the rules—and therefore likely to be embraced by other nations this summer; however, the unconventional tactic does carry certain restrictions.
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Rules Regarding Laptops on the Sidelines
It is standard practice to see team analysts using tablets on the bench. FIFA does not prohibit a head coach from leveraging technology on the sideline during a match, and that allowance will extend to water breaks—even for an impromptu coaching session—an anonymous source within soccer's governing body told The Athletic, confirming that laptops may be used at any point.
The electronic devices must be "mobile and handheld," however, meaning nothing larger than a laptop is permitted, as outlined in the regulations set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
This means the image of 30 sweaty players crowded around a single tablet or laptop is far from a one-time occurrence this summer, with the strategy expected to be picked up by other nations looking for every possible edge in soccer's most prestigious competition.
One rule Pochettino did violate on Sunday, however, was allowing USMNT players to cross the touchline and enter the technical area. Players who are active in the match must remain on the field throughout water breaks, meaning they will need to position themselves just inside the touchline to view the screen.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway on June 11 across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, marking the first time the tournament has been co-hosted by three nations. It is also the first edition to feature 48 teams, and now it looks set to be the first in which sides conduct tactical briefings at each quarter-point of a match.