World Cup: Emma Hayes Praised For Using Drinks Break For Tactical Analysis

He joined in April 2024, having previously worked at VAVEL as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, where he produced a variety of content, including pieces from press conferences and games. He also won an award for his role as lead editor for the Women's Football section of the online newspaper.

Covering football all across Europe, he has worked at stadiums such as Anfield, Old Trafford, and Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, as well as having reported at both the 2023 men's and women's Champions League finals in Eindhoven and Istanbul.

He is infatuated with every aspect of football, but likes other sports as well, being an avid coffee-desperate Buffalo Bills supporter from across the pond and a darts' newbie. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account ITV pundit Emma Hayes has gone viral for her 'brilliant' actions during the World Cup hydration break between Spain and Cape Verde. It was a below-par performance from the European champions, who were unable to find a winner against the tournament debutants and, truth be told, aside from the shock scoreline, the match was hardly a thriller.

Late substitute appearances from Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams failed to spark Spain into life, while Luis de la Fuente would have been forgiven for nodding off in the stands at Atlanta Stadium. That should not take anything away from Cape Verde, whose disciplined display earned a memorable result for a nation of just 529,600 people. However, the spectacle was once again disrupted by two scheduled hydration breaks.

Virgil van Dijk became the first player to publicly question the FIFA rule following the Netherlands' 2-2 draw with Japan on Sunday, while many pundits and fans agree that the breaks can take the wind out of a game's sails, disrupting the rhythm and slowing the action to a crawl. But ITV may have found a way to keep viewers engaged when the match itself grinds to a halt.

While the BBC and most other major broadcasters typically rely on commentary to fill the dead air during the several-minute drinks breaks, ITV appear to have found a smarter solution. With Emma Hayes temporarily on punditry duty while awaiting the USA women's national team's next international window, the broadcaster handed her the spotlight - and she used it to deliver a tactical masterclass.

The seven-time Women's Super League-winning manager knows the tactical side of the game like the back of her hand, and she needed little time to identify how Spain could break down their stubborn opponents. Thinking on her feet, Hayes produced a detailed and insightful analysis that quickly caught viewers' attention. Praising her ability to deliver such a well-thought-out breakdown at the drop of a hat, Joe Tomlinson from Sky Sports wrote (watch the full segment below):

"Emma Hayes is the best pundit at the World Cup… by a distance. The tactical breakdowns are actually insane. To be able to condense the knowledge into understandable bite size pieces in such a short space of time is class."

Elsewhere, another added: "In awe of Emma Hayes, her punditry is so insightful yet effortless and makes it seem so easy to understand. No outrageous comments for effect, her tactical knowledge is so vast, she’s a class act," as a third labelled her actions "brilliant." A fourth concluded: "Absolute cinema!"

Their supporters will NOT be able to bring their flags into the stadiums.

For the most part, pundits like to dumb things down for the ordinary spectator. This way, anyone can watch football and quickly get to grips with what's happening. But for those connoisseurs who know the ins and outs of the sport, this style of punditry can become quite repetitive, and that's where one of the best analysts in the game, Emma Hayes, comes into play.

The coach-turned-pundit is just as detailed in her journalism as she is in her management. A diary loaded with stats and facts makes for an in-depth and fascinating analysis before and after the ninety minutes are done. While others try to streamline football, Hayes, who is best known for her work with Chelsea, teaches her viewers about the complexities, catering for those who thought they already knew it all.