Get free access to all our World Cup coverage in the app, from kickoff to the trophy lift.CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. men’s national team on Sunday had a unique take on the hydration breaks that FIFA has introduced to international soccer.Midway through the first half of a friendly against Senegal, rather than huddle on the side of the field and listen to their coach while drinking water, players gathered on the bench around a laptop. A staffer held it in the palm of his hand while head coach Mauricio Pochettino pointed at the MacBook’s screen.“I think it’s very helpful for the players to see actions,” Pochettino later explained. “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.”Their problem, though, is that they aren’t sure whether FIFA will permit this approach at the 2026 World Cup.“We’ll see now in the World Cup if they can allow that, and how we are going to do that,” Pochettino said postgame.FIFA’s published rules don’t clarify if laptops can be used to show tactical clips during the breaks, or if players are allowed to leave the field of play. Laptops and tablets are allowed on the sideline in general, per FIFA’s tournament regulations, but the exact guardrails around hydration breaks are unknown. Spokespeople for the global soccer governing body did not immediately respond to an email seeking answers.FIFA will implement the mandatory three-minute breaks halfway through every half of every match at the 2026 World Cup, regardless of weather. The breaks, according to soccer’s global governing body, are primarily a player welfare measure, but they also have commercial and sporting implications.