World Cup 2026: the first big controversy erupts!

Just hours after the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, a broadcasting controversy has already disrupted the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup hadn't even reached its second match before the first major controversy exploded. The issue? FIFA-mandated cooling breaks, which the American broadcaster Fox turned into a golden advertising opportunity during the opening game between Mexico and South Africa. Fox ran five consecutive commercials, missing the game’s restart twice.

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The situation took a surreal turn during the second break. After being notified that commercials were still running on Fox, referee Wilton Sampaio actually asked the South African players to wait about forty seconds before resuming play. But even that wasn’t enough: Fox once again missed the restart.

Reactions were quick to follow. Carli Lloyd, former U.S. international and current Fox analyst, was blunt on X: “I hate this.” When contacted by The Athletic, the network declined to comment. The first blow to the spectacle—and the tournament has only just begun.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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