Do Brazil have a hope at this World Cup? Who are hydration breaks really for? Day 3 Recap
Brazil’s supporters took over Times Square in New York in the build-up to their opening World Cup match against Morocco, but their mood was dampened by a drab display in a 1-1 draw at MetLife Stadium.
Vinicius Junior scored an excellent goal for Brazil to draw them level but the real star of that match was 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who outshone his vastly more experienced opponents in the centre of the pitch.
There was still plenty of celebrating in New York into the early hours, though, after the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs to win their first NBA title in 53 years.
In the World Cup’s earlier game between Qatar and Switzerland, which kicked off at midday local time in Santa Clara, there was heat, empty seats and concerns over the state of FIFA’s offside technology.
Scotland clung on against Haiti to start their campaign with a win in Boston, before two teams in the United States’ group met in Vancouver. Australia produced a masterclass in energy and application to beat Turkey 2-0 and go level with the USMNT on three points.
Elsewhere on Saturday night, a tornado warning was issued to much of Kansas City and the England squad were advised to shelter indoors.
The Athletic will provide daily recaps of the World Cup’s biggest talking points throughout the tournament. This is what happened on Matchday 3…
Are water breaks more for advertisers than players?
With 20 minutes remaining against Switzerland, and his side trailing 1-0, the Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada was growing increasingly agitated.
The referee’s whistle for the water break had sounded after 66:55, with FIFA mandating that play should stop for three minutes. But now, almost half a minute after that allotted time, and as a Whitney Houston song blares through Levi’s Stadium, play had not restarted. This painful delay was not apparent on U.S. television, where adverts ran right up to the game’s resumption at 70.18.
Remember, when these breaks were first announced, they were supposed to be for hydration — ultimately, for the players’ benefit. But was the welfare of those on the pitch really behind their introduction?
FIFA has not limited water breaks to warm venues only, nor has it introduced a temperature minimum. This is a sweeping dictate across the board.
That makes it possible for broadcasters to sell advertising breaks during these stoppages, potentially allowing FIFA to charge them a higher premium for the television rights.
Networks in countries including the U.S., Brazil, and the Republic of Ireland have all taken the opportunity to air adverts during this period — which have already been referred to as the end of “quarters” in some American stadiums — while broadcasters in Mexico and the United Kingdom have rejected the chance to do so.
U.S. broadcaster Fox missed match action during the second half of the tournament opener between Mexico and South Africa.
A hydration break — sponsored by Powerade — during the match between Morocco and Brazil (Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
So, who exactly is this serving?
Fans? It is doubtful many would prefer advertisements to match action.
Players? Well, they get to rehydrate in hot matches, but these breaks have not always been needed in cool temperatures.
Players were ready well before the resumption in Brazil vs Morocco as well — but crucially, they were ready after less than three minutes, before the adverts had finished. Seemingly, referees are under instruction to wait for those to air, rather than to allow players to continue the game.
Morocco may have reason to feel aggrieved after their own delay. They had taken the lead less than five minutes before the first-half break, and were seemingly in the ascendancy — but lost momentum after drinks, with Brazil equalising soon after the restart.
So if it is not for fans, and not for players, who does this break truly serve? The answer was suspected before the tournament, but is now becoming increasingly clear.
Jacob Whitehead
Does a sixth World Cup triumph look possible for Brazil?
The final score read 1-1, but make no mistake: Brazil were lucky to escape their World Cup opener against Morocco with their dignity, let alone a point.
The mood music surrounding the five-time World Cup winners was mixed coming into this tournament. They have walked a rocky road since Qatar 2022, making hard work of the South American qualifiers and cycling through three coaches before finally landing their white whale, Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian’s arrival in May 2025 brought about an improvement on the pitch but not a radical one. There was, though, something calming about his presence. Ancelotti made Brazil feel they were in good hands, eased some of their neuroses. The asterisks remained but expectation levels crept up. They always do with Brazil.
Morocco, semi-finalists at the last World Cup, were always going to be tricky opponents. Few people, though, could have foreseen the gulf in quality between the two sides in the first half in New Jersey.
Morocco pinged the ball about, worked clever angles, snapped into challenges. They were brave. They were busy. Brazil… were also on the pitch. Although at times you did have to really squint to make sure.
Vinicius Jr reacts during Brazil’s draw with Morocco (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Ancelotti made a couple of interesting selections, both of which failed to pay off. Roger Ibanez, a player you almost certainly have not heard of, started at right-back, had a nightmare and was hooked at half-time. Brentford striker Igor Thiago got the nod up front but failed to make any impression. Then there was the midfield, the slow man/slower man combination of Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro, perpetually overrun by their Moroccan counterparts.
Brazil were better in the second half, but only in the way stubbing your toe on a table leg is better than being punched in the face. Ancelotti’s stormy expression after the final whistle said it all.
“This was a tough match, especially at the beginning,” he said in his press conference. “The team was anxious and there were nerves all over the place. We didn’t keep the ball enough. I’m not disappointed and I’m not satisfied either. This was a difficult game.”
Ancelotti, one of the most decorated coaches in football history, is not far off a genius. He will, however, need every last drop of his nous to make Brazil contenders for this World Cup.
Jack Lang
Are empty seats the price of playing in NFL stadiums?
Unoccupied sections were again visible as Qatar met Switzerland at Levi’s Stadium, known during this World Cup as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, with thousands of seats visibly empty during the game.
Officially, the stadium was just 861 seats short of its 68,827 capacity — with the discrepancy in part due to the strength of the sun, with temperatures rising to 86F (30C) by the end of the 1-1 draw.
Switzerland take a free kick during the match against Qatar (Getty Images)
The ground was fairly full at the start but it appeared that the heat meant many supporters chose to watch from the shade of the concourse rather than their seats, leading to a half-full stadium bowl.
Is that likely to be a common sight over the coming weeks?
All 11 U.S. venues are NFL stadiums, selected by FIFA because they were ready and boast huge capacities. Largely, non-domed NFL stadiums are built in an open-bowl style that does not offer significant shade.
This rarely matters in the NFL season, which runs from September to February, due to the cooler weather — but in June and July, they leave many supporters in direct sunlight, especially in noon or early afternoon games.
Of course, the alternative explanation is FIFA’s ticket pricing — this tournament has been described as the most expensive World Cup in history — with Thursday’s game between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, a night-time kick-off, also seeing thousands of empty seats.
Jacob Whitehead
What to know about Sunday’s games
It’s another full slate of action, albeit with a slight — and slightly confusing — twist: the entire schedule shifts two hours earlier than Saturday. That will be good news for fans in Europe, who can finally watch two full matches without burning the midnight oil.
The game of the day looks like Netherlands vs Japan, which gets Group F up and running. This is not, admittedly, one of the vintage Dutch sides. The options up front are a little underwhelming and Ronald Koeman is not everyone’s idea of an elite coach. What the Netherlands do have is strength at the back and in midfield: most teams in this tournament would love to call upon Frenkie de Jong, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Ryan Gravenberch and Denzel Dumfries.
Japan, meanwhile, are many people’s dark horses. They were impeccable in qualifying and while the injured Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma is a major loss, this might be the best Japanese side to appear at a World Cup — or even the best Asian side, full stop. Expect a technical, aesthetically pleasing encounter in Dallas.
The day starts with a feel-good story: Curacao’s first World Cup match, against Germany. For the uninitiated, Curacao is a tiny island in the Caribbean. Its population is around 185,000; a chunk of that number will be out in force, bringing what they call the Blue Wave to Houston. Can they trouble four-time World Cup-winners Germany? That looks doubtful, but it promises to be a great occasion nonetheless.
The other game in Group E takes place in Philadelphia, where Ivory Coast meet Ecuador. Les Elephants have been buoyed by a pre-World Cup friendly win against France and have some sparky wingers — including the in-demand Yan Diomande — capable of lighting up a game. Their individual quality may be needed because Ecuador might just be the best defensive team in world football. They also, in Sebastian Beccacece, have a coach who looks more like Iggy Pop than anyone else at the tournament. (He also talks a very good game.)
Yan Diomande is one of the young stars to watch at this World Cup (Justin Casterline – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
Last and also least (sorry) is Sweden vs Tunisia. Sweden should be quite interesting, with plenty of familiar names (Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, English coach Graham Potter) and a bit of momentum after qualifying dramatically. Tunisia pride themselves on being tough to beat — fair enough, but that approach does not always lend itself to thrilling football.
Group E: Germany vs Curacao (1pm ET; 6pm BST)
Group F: Netherlands vs Japan (4pm ET; 9pm BST)
Group E: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (7pm ET; 12am BST)
Group F: Sweden vs Tunisia (10pm ET; 3am BST)