South Korea v Czechia: World Cup 2026 – live
⚽️ Kick-off time: 8pm local/12pm AEST/3am BST/10pm EDT
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Jonathan
What did we learn from the opening match that might point to the progression of this World Cup? Among other things, it is going to be s l o w.
Even in relatively temperate conditions, and with few stoppages in play, the World Cup’s opening game still felt like a slog, which is likely to have set the tone for the tournament. With Fifa’s mandatory three-minute hydration breaks taken despite temperatures of just 22 degrees, the Brazilian referee, Wilton Sampaoi, did not blow his half-time whistle until 55 minutes after kick-off, even though just four minutes of added time had been played.
It seems almost inevitable that all matches in this competition will stretch over two hours and niggly contests with multiple stoppages played in hot conditions could end up lasting far longer.
