Note: This story first appeared in The Beautiful Game by CNN Sports, our daily newsletter on all things World Cup. To subscribe, click here.
And just like that, we’re already a week into this summer’s World Cup. We’ve now had seven days of action, 24 group games and 75 goals scored across North America. And the best bit is, we’re only getting started.
Yesterday, we saw England deliver a brilliant attacking performance with Harry Kane leading the charge against Croatia, watched as Cristiano Ronaldo failed to deliver for Portugal and Colombia and Ghana grab second-half winners.
We’ll have more on that later, but given we’re a full week into the competition, let’s start with one of the most debated topics so far.
The Main Thing: Hydration breaks – who are the real winners?
This one sort of slipped under the radar in the buildup to what was already a very controversial World Cup. And yet, now that the tournament is underway, people can’t stop talking about these pesky new hydration breaks.
So, what are they? Well, on the face of it, these breaks are a smart thing to introduce. The weather across North America this summer will sometimes be extreme, with high temperatures and humidity making it very hard for the players on the pitch. So, to combat the effect of the heat and protect the teams, world soccer governing body FIFA introduced hydration breaks in both halves of every match played at the tournament.
Essentially, the game is stopped for three minutes midway through each half. Players use the time to take on water and electrolytes. FIFA says the new approach is part of its “commitment to player welfare at the tournament” and has been supported by experts in the field.
That all makes sense, right? At least on the surface.
But there are many who have a more cynical view about why these breaks have really been introduced. Importantly, FIFA said that no matter the temperature or humidity in the stadium, the hydration breaks are mandatory.
That means that many games have been stopped when the conditions haven’t been hot at all – for example, it was 19 degrees Celsius (66.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Toronto yesterday for Ghana vs Panama. It also applies for games played in stadiums with roofs that allow the venues to control the climate.
Essentially what’s happened is that all matches have been split into four quarters, something which fans of US sports are very used to. It’s also allowed more space for TV commercials to be sold, with broadcasters such as FOX cutting to ads during the short stoppages (fans noted that the American network even missed match action in the Mexico-South Africa tournament opener). More advertising space – especially in the lucrative US market – will be an incredibly valuable asset for FIFA.
“Hydration breaks are a bit interesting,” Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters.
“Because I was obviously watching almost all the games up until today, and every time going to commercial is a bit, not really how I like it. I think for the neutral watchers on TV, it’s also not great.”
Other criticism focuses on how much of an impact the breaks have on momentum in the game, with some matches this tournament flipping on their heads after the brief break. That might be because teams are using the breaks to deliver instructions, with several managers pulling out tactic boards to help coach their players midway through each half.
“For me, it’s a coaching break more than a cooling break, so to me it’s very important,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said.
It ultimately seems to be yet another culture clash at this World Cup, with many fans frustrated by what they see as another attempt to ruin the sanctity of the sport with even more commercialism – just ask the England supporters who booed when the referee called for the hydration breaks in the team’s 4-2 win against Croatia on Wednesday.
Like them or loathe them, though, we’ll all have to get used to these hydration breaks at this World Cup.
You can read more about the concerns around heat at this year’s World Cup here.
When? 6 p.m. ET
Where? BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
The co-host was a mixed bag in its opening match against Bosnia, looking second-best for periods of the first half and particularly vulnerable when defending set-pieces. But manager Jesse Marsch changed things up in the second half and Canada suddenly looked like a different beast.
The additions of winger Ali Ahmed and striker Cyle Larin gave the team a new dynamic, and it was unlucky not to find a winner in the 1-1 draw.
Canada will come up against a Qatar side riding the momentum of a historic result against Switzerland, scoring in the final seconds to secure a 1-1 draw in its first match of the group stage.
I spoke with my CNN colleague Matias Grez in Doha who had this to say:
It would be understandable if, four years after hosting a World Cup, there was some sense of a comedown this time having to watch your team from afar.
But Qatar provided its fans a euphoric high against Switzerland on Saturday night, earning the nation its first-ever point on soccer’s biggest stage.
Boualem Khoukhi’s towering header in the last minute of stoppage time set off an eruption of noise inside a rowdy temporary fan zone in Lusail, the site of the previous tournament’s final, with not a soul in sight at all bothered that they had work early the next morning after a midnight finish.
It was a welcome boost for a side that underperformed as host in 2022, but one which has won back-to-back Asian Cups and undoubtedly arrived in North America with higher expectations.
When? 9 p.m. ET
Where? Guadalajara Stadium (Estadio Akron), Zapopan, Mexico
It’s the battle between two nations that have seemingly grown to love one another if the discourse on social media is accurate.
Mexico will be very encouraged from its opening day win against South Africa, looking dominant in the 2-0 win.
Few teams will fancy their chances against the co-host, which was so well supported by the home crowd. Importantly for El Tri, striker Raúl Jiménez looked to be in the zone, scoring his first World Cup goal in a brilliant performance.
Meanwhile, South Korea heads into this tie off the back of a comeback 2-1 win against the Czech Republic. It was a decent performance from the Asian side which dominated much of the game. Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in looked sharp in attack and their team is capable of getting a result against Mexico.
These are the words of Portugal manager Roberto Martínez after he was asked by a reporter why he didn’t substitute Cristiano Ronaldo off during the team’s disappointing 1-1 draw against DR Congo yesterday.
Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes despite struggling to make any impact at all – the game seemed to be passing him by most of the time. Some fans in the Iberian nation are calling on the manager to drop the 41-year-old striker for the sake of the team, but it doesn’t look like Martínez has any plans to do that yet, particularly as his midfield also played below expectations.
There have been some funky boot (cleats for our American readers) designs at this year’s World Cup and CNN Sports spoke to one man helping to deliver unique options to some of the world’s best players.
Designing cleats for sports stars
Jordan Dawson is an artist who designs cleats for pro-athletes, including some that will be worn at this year’s World Cup – his designs range from anime to paintings which express the personalities of soccer’s biggest stars.
Tickets to this World Cup are expensive, so many fans are instead heading to fan zones to watch the games. CNN Sports’ Patrick Snell has this to say from his trip to the Atlanta offering.
If you’re not attending the big game, then the next best thing for matches in Atlanta just has to be the World Cup Fan Festival.
The city’s Centennial Olympic Park has become an international melting pot of fans, all sharing a mutual passion for the Beautiful Game.
Tickets to get in are free, but you have to reserve online in advance. And with a max capacity of 15,000, entry is not guaranteed.
The CNN Sports team arrived there Monday for our live TV coverage, and we could not have picked a more dramatic or historic day as Cape Verde held mighty Spain to a draw in the tiny African nation’s first ever World Cup match.
Thousands of Spain supporters had packed into the park to gather around the massive screen, but it was the much smaller contingent of Cape Verde fans who were celebrating at the full-time whistle, creating an incredible atmosphere that felt like being at a game.
The Fan Festival has something for everyone. Concerts, merchandise aplenty, World Cup charm bracelets and a nearby Waffle House too.
Plenty more to come on that in the coming days!
From CNN’s Thomas Schlachter
When? 12 p.m. ET
Where? Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Both Czech Republic and South Africa got off to losing starts in their World Cup campaigns and will know a win in this game will be huge.
South Africa lost 2-0 against Mexico and also had two men sent off in a game where they slightly lost their discipline. Bafana Bafana will need to be tighter at the back if they are to bounce back from that defeat.
Czech Republic will also need to improve from its opener. The Repre lost 2-1 against South Korea – despite taking the lead slightly against the run of play.
The Czechs are very strong from set-piece situations and will look to make them count in their second group stage game.
Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
From CNN’s Thomas Schlachter
When? 3 p.m. ET
Where? Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium), Los Angeles, California, USA
Switzerland absolutely dominated its first game of the tournament against Qatar yet somehow couldn’t get over the line with all three points. Qatar’s injury time equalizer left the European nation ruing big chances that were wasted.
The Swiss will now look to right the wrongs with a win against Bosnia and Herzegovina as they look to build some momentum.
While Switzerland was disappointed with a draw, Bosnia would have been relatively happy with its 1-1 tie against Canada.
The Canadians had the best of the chances to win the game, but the Zmajevi looked very dangerous from set-pieces and will look to build on that in their second match of the tournament.
The Final Whistle: England comes down with a predictable case of World Cup fever
With the tournament being hosted so far away and the games starting late at night, it’s taken England a little time to warm up to this summer’s World Cup.
But after watching the Three Lions produce an exciting performance, and crucially a 4-2 win, in their first group match against Croatia last night, the country has once again fallen hook, line and sinker for the tournament.
In the country’s capital, you could feel the buzz building hours before the scheduled kickoff time at 9 p.m. local. Pubs and bars across London were full to the brim as giant screens were erected here, there and everywhere.
Many Londoners simply left their offices wearing their retro England jerseys and walked through flag-lined streets to their pre-booked tables on a balmy summer afternoon. And, on an evening off from covering the World Cup – p.s. thank you, Editors (Editors’ note: You’re welcome, Ben) – I joined them.
The World Cup certainly does strange things to London; I’ve seen that many times over the years. For example, anyone who has been to England’s capital will know there’s a certain etiquette to public transport. The rules are you keep to yourself, don’t talk to anyone and lose yourself in a book or, more likely, your phone. But, once every four years, we Londoners throw those rules out the window.
On my way into central London yesterday, two boys were traveling back from high school on the train and had opened up their laptop to watch Portugal play DR Congo. Suddenly, their seats were surrounded by strangers all sitting, chatting and watching the match together. Temporary friends made during a 15-minute journey into the heart of the capital.
I then tried my luck at three different venues in an attempt to find a space to watch the England opener with friends. All three were full, there was simply no room at the inn. We then struck gold on our fourth venue, which only had space due to a fault in its booking system. The pub had been there in one form or another for hundreds of years, but last night, it was home to me and around 100 other England fans.
Each goal the team scored was cheered louder than the last as I yet again started dreaming that this year, more than any other, could finally be England’s year. The car honking and flag waving around central London while everyone made their way home suggests I might not be the only one.
And while North America may feel a million miles away, the World Cup felt very much alive in England and that’s ultimately the whole beauty of it.
