Norman Odinga

Former player & coach, Canada Soccer Appeals & Discipline Chair

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

This is the year when the game of two halves became the game of four quarters. And the greatest sport and event was damaged for fistfuls of dollars. Hydration breaks ruin the game’s flow and frustrates fans and viewers. If hydration breaks were solely about player welfare then they would be linked to the temperature in the stadia. It’s a nonsense having a three-minute break in an air-conditioned arena.

Fifa should long ago have established a working party of coaches, sports scientists, national team doctors and Fifpro to agree a set temperature at kickoff, say 25C, which triggers the breaks. That would prove the breaks were for player welfare. At the moment, and to nobody’s surprise, it is widely accepted that these breaks are for US TV to accommodate commercials. Big bucks for the small screen.

Fifa should have thought more about the effect on games and to fan (and viewer) experience when negotiating. Coaches’ desire for a mid-half tactical time-out masquerading as a drinks stop should be resisted anyway. Games have been played for 150 years without needing such intervention. Coaches can shout instructions. And who says that 22 mins and 67 mins is when a coach needs to intervene anyway. It’s nonsense. It’s about money.

Respected and sane footballing voices from Virgil van Dijk to Mauricio Pochettino have spoken out against the breaks. Fifa should listen to them not appear only to listen to the rustle of dollar bills. It’s important that there is resistance to this from all over. Because if we tolerate this, our TV games could be next. BBC can’t do ads, ITV says it won’t follow its US counterparts. But it has been discussed by TV people. It’ll come one day. #FIFAWorldCup.

[CentreGoals. @centregoals]

🚨🚨| Uruguay national team was subjected to 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 security screening upon arrival in the US ahead of their World Cup opener.

Sniffer dogs were deployed as players’ luggage underwent thorough inspection on the roadside next to the team bus. 😳

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Soccer has always been defined by free-flowing, unbroken action. But for the World Cup in America, FIFA is using “hydration breaks” to shoehorn in commercials. 🔗 https://t.co/pFuy90orj6

[Koninklijk Huis @koninklijkhuis]

⚽ Sport verbroedert!

🇳🇱 Koning Willem-Alexander en Koningin Máxima, Keizer Naruhito en Keizerin Masako kijken samen hoe de Oranje Leeuwen en 🇯🇵 de Samurai Blue het in Dallas tegen elkaar opnemen bij hun eerste groepswedstrijd van het WK Voetbal.

📷 RVD & Z.M. de Koning

[Football Tweet ⚽ @Footballtweet]

🚨 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖: Morocco became the first country in history yesterday to field an entire starting XI of players born outside the country during a match. 🇲🇦

🇲🇦 Yassine Bounou — born in Canada. 🇨🇦
🇲🇦 Noussair Mazraoui — born in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱
🇲🇦 Issa Diop — born in France. 🇫🇷
🇲🇦 Chadi Riad — born in Spain. 🇪🇸
🇲🇦 Achraf Hakimi — born in Spain. 🇪🇸
🇲🇦 Neil El Aynaoui — born in France. 🇫🇷
🇲🇦 Ayyoub Bouaddi — born in France. 🇫🇷
🇲🇦 Chemsdine Talbi — born in Belgium. 🇧🇪
🇲🇦 Bilal El Khannouss — born in Belgium. 🇧🇪
🇲🇦 Samir El Mourabet — born in France. 🇫🇷
🇲🇦 Ismael Saibari — born in Spain. 🇪🇸

A truly unprecedented moment. 🤯🇲🇦

[OnsOranje @OnsOranje]

DALLAS = ORANJE! 🧡🫨

#NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup #NEDJPN

[FIFA World Cup @FIFAWorldCup]

Cruyff's magical run in the first minute of the 1974 Final 🇳🇱

#FIFAWorldCup

[The Touchline | 𝐓 @TouchlineX]

🚨 𝗗𝗜𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪: Morocco has become the FIRST national team in history to line up 11 players that are ALL born outside Morocco.

🇨🇦 Bono (Montreal)
🇳🇱 Noussair Mazraoui (Leiderdorp)
🇫🇷 Issa Diop (Toulouse)
🇪🇸 Chadi Riad (Palma)
🇪🇸 Achraf Hakimi (Madrid)
🇫🇷 Neil El Aynaoui (Nancy)
🇫🇷 Ayyoub Bouaddi (Senlis)
🇧🇪 Chemsdine Talbi (Sambreville)
🇧🇪 Bilal El Khannouss (Molenbeek)
🇫🇷 Samir El Mourabet (Strasbourg)
🇪🇸 Ismael Saibari (Terrassa)

[OnsOranje @OnsOranje]

#FIFAWorldCup, ARE YOU READY?! 🧡

#NothingLikeOranje #NEDJPN

[BBC 5 Live Sport @5liveSport]

Did you know Asmir Begović played for Canada? 🇧🇦🇨🇦

Born in Bosnia, Begović and his family moved to Canada when he was 10 years old after fleeing the Bosnian War.

He played for Canada at the U20 World Cup before declaring for the country of his birth.

#BBCFootball #FIFAWorldCup

[FIFA World Cup @FIFAWorldCup]

It only took Alphonso Davies 68 seconds... 🇨🇦⏰

#FIFAWorldCup

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

Three losses in 1986.

Three losses in 2022.

Canada's 1-1 draw against Bosnia earns them their first-ever point at a men's World Cup.

[Fabrizio Romano @FabrizioRomano]

🚨 FIFA statement on Thomas Partey left out of Canada.

“FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana's Team Base Camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government.

"FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country."

[Lega Serie A @SerieA_EN]

The #SerieA Canucks are ready to represent. 🍁❤️‍🔥

#FIFAWorldCup

[CANMNT @CANMNT_Official]

The wait is over, Canada.

Our FIFA World Cup journey begins in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina!

📺: @TSN_Sports, @CTV, @RDSca
#CANMNT #OurGameNow

[Canada Soccer @CanadaSoccerEN]

NEXT BEST THING TO BEING IN THE STADIUM | FREE TO ENTER

@CanSoccerHouse is the ultimate fan destination. Come down and cheer on your team at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto or The Shipyards in Vancouver, select dates from June 11 to July 7.

Go to https://t.co/5Kb8UWb1B6 for more info and to register today!

[Troll Football @TrollFootball]

The award for the best ad of the 2026 World Cup goes to Canadian travel agency @flighthubglobal

[TSN @TSN_Sports]

The World Lives Here.

Canada is all together different. Truly unique. And so is our relationship to the beautiful game. This is our opening to the 2026 World Cup. Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland. #FIFAWorldCup

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑺 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑶𝑪𝑪𝑬𝑹 ⭐️ 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 🇨🇦

Canada’s roster is not short on talent. But this summer, there is no debate over their most important player: Jonathan David.

The program’s all-time leading goalscorer will enter the 2026 World Cup with responsibility.

If the uber-cool talisman finds the net often enough – and he can do so in several ways – Canada’s tournament could be a memorable one.

✍️ @joshuakloke

FREE TO READ: https://t.co/EaWni0Drbs