Red-eye watchfest: 10 World Cup games to stay up for
LATE LATE SHOWS: Neymar in action for Btazil. Pic: AP Photo/Bruna Prado.
Mexico may be hosting the opening game of the tournament, but co-hosts USA don’t have to wait long for their turn in Group D. Get an early taste of World Cup fever and LA glamour by starting your late-night football fest with the USMNT facing Paraguay. This is their eighth world cup since 1990 and with Mauricio Pochettino in charge their aim is to go beyond the quarter-finals. Winning this one is crucial.
After almost three decades of qualification frustration, Scotland’s dramatic victory over Denmark – including an overhead kick from Scott McTominay and a goal from the halfway line by Kenny McLean – means this is an emotional one. The whole of Scotland will be awake into the wee hours; you can be certain of that. Watch this one for the colour and atmosphere – and hopefully the party afterwards.
Journalists working for the front pages and the back pages will be all over this one and, sadly, not only for footballing reasons. Iran’s place in the tournament seemed in doubt due to war in the Middle East and concerns about safety if based in the USA as originally planned. But Mexico has stepped into host- and the team will need to commute to matches from there. Look out for ex-Brighton star Alireza Jahanbakhsh and ex-Brentford man Saman Ghoddos – as well as veteran striker Mehdi Taremi.
The first chance to see Argentina is always a big moment in a World Cup and always worth staying up for. But when it’s possibly Lionel Messi’s last major tournament (and is staged in the country where he now plays football) the hype is even bigger. Crack open the early morning beers (or put on a big pot of coffee) to stay awake for this one.
Mexico are hosting the World Cup for the third time (adding to 1970 and 1986 when they reached the last eight on both occasions) and Javier Aguiurre’s side are dreaming of making an impact again. This one should be a vibrant, raucous atmosphere and a real chance for El Tricolor to make home advantage count. Look out for Fulham striker Raul Jiminez and Milan’s Santiago Giminez. South Korea were hosts in 2002 of course and qualified strongly for this one. It could be the defining fixture of the group.
The World Cup never really starts until Brazil have made an appearance – and it’s a bonus for fans that this one falls on a weekend. It’s a no-brainer to add to the late-night football schedule – and you might want to throw in a bit of Samba while you’re at it. The fact that Brazil are now led by Carlo Ancelotti adds extra interest given his incredible record of success. With Neymar injured, it’s a major chance for Vinicius Jnr to own the spotlight, too, whilst Arsenal’s Gabriel could make it a Premier League and World Cup double. Keep one eye on Brentford’s rising star Igor Thiago after his 22-goal season in the Premier League. Keith Andrews will be cheering him on for sure.
Anyone for a late-night Salah party? The winger may have said his emotional Liverpool farewells already, but Kopites don’t have to wait long to watch him in action on tv. He remains the focal point of Egypt’s attack and the key to their dreams of reaching the knockout stages. You’d think that Egypt should be comfortable for this one, so sit back and enjoy the Salah magic, with the backdrop of Vancouver to keep you awake, too.
It’s Tuesday, it’s early in the morning and it’s Haaland time. The Manchester City forward, inevitably, will be the big draw in Toronto and such is his aura that some people are even describing Norway as dark horses for the tournament. After all, they won every single one of their group matches and also have Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard to pull the strings. Senegal, the best side in Africa, were also unbeaten in qualifying and will provide tough opposition (having also beaten England at Wembley in a friendly this year). Sadio Mane is there to match Haaland, too.
Why not finish off your group phase sleep deprivation test with a book-ended double header? It starts with Uruguay v Spain in what could be a pivotal tie in Group H, kicking off at 1am, and ends with a 10pm kick-off for England against Panama the same day.
The good news is there’s time to sleep in between (although for total insomniacs it’s worth noting that Egypt plan Iran at 4am if you really wan to push the boat out).
Spain, one of the tournament favourites, bring a whole host of stars to enjoy, from David Raya to Rodri and Lamine Yamal to Nico Williams. Surely, they’ll be qualified before they step foot on the pitch in Zapopan?
Even so, it’s a good start to the day – with England and Harry Kane hoping to plunder a few goals against Panama late in the evening.
After that you can take a deep breath and get some sleep.
But set your alarm clock – the knockout stages begin on Monday June 29th.
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