That Spain draw was pretty consequential because if they finish second in Group H, they'll probably face *Argentina* in the Round of 32. Now, a 37% chance of that matchup happening.
Fox paid $485 million for the rights to broadcast this World Cup. The New York Times put the fair market value at $1 to $1.5 billion. The hydration break is how Fox gets its money's worth.
FIFA announced mandatory 3-minute pauses midway through each half of all 104 World Cup 2026 matches, not just hot ones. That includes games inside climate-controlled domed stadiums with roofs. The announcement came at a World Broadcaster Meeting in Washington DC. FIFA said the decision was made after consultation with coaches and broadcasters.
A few months later, FIFA gave broadcasters the green light to sell ads during the pauses. Fox gets 2 minutes and 10 seconds per break, starting 20 seconds after the whistle and ending 30 seconds before play resumes. Across all 104 games, that's 832 potential ad slots that didn't exist in soccer before this tournament. Fox and Telemundo project a combined $850 million in ad revenue from the 2026 World Cup.
The player welfare argument is also real. Argentina's Enzo Fernandez said he felt "dizzy" in "very dangerous" temperatures during last summer's Club World Cup in the US, where some games approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit. FIFA had reason to act. But it applied those breaks to every match regardless of conditions, and opened a commercial window that makes this World Cup more ad-friendly than any before it.
Fox proved the point on day one. In the opener between Mexico and South Africa, Fox missed the 30-second return window FIFA mandated. The ball was already in play when the network came back from commercials.
Coca-Cola, a top-tier global FIFA partner for decades, runs the hydration stations on the field. That same 3-minute pause serves three commercial interests at once: the field sponsor, Fox's ad revenue, and Fox's streaming subscribers.
The 2030 World Cup goes to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. The 2034 tournament lands in Saudi Arabia. Both regions see extreme summer heat. FIFA has not confirmed whether the pauses will outlast this summer's tournament. But $850 million in new advertising inventory tends to answer that question on its own.
This is brilliant! Arabic commentator goes all-in for @LewisHamilton on his record breaking win in Barcelona yesterday!
The first to win in @McLarenF1 , @MercedesAMGF1 , and @Ferrari.
FORZA HAMILTON, FORZA FERRARI
BREAKING: Pierre Gasly has been reinstated into P3 for the Monaco Grand Prix
The Stewards have rescinded the two five-second penalties imposed on Pierre Gasly during the race for speeding in the pit lane
#F1
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc driving the Ferrari Luce should have been the entirety of the launch campaign. Am totally convinced now. This $640k EV is gonna sell like hot cakes.
🇭🇷 Kroatien stürmte mit einem Lied ins Finale des Eurovision Song Contest, in dem von der osmanischen Besatzung und der Tradition christlicher Tätowierungen zur Schutz junger Mädchen vor Muslimen gesungen wird.
Das Lied auf Kroatisch hat überhaupt nichts mit der gesamten ���progressiven" Agenda des ESC-Bla-Bla zu tun; es verurteilt die jahrhundertelange islamische türkische Besatzung kroatischer Gebiete und erinnert an die alte kroatische Tradition, katholischen Mädchen christliche Motive als Tätowierungen auf den Körper zu bringen, um ihre Entführung, Zwangsumkehr zum Islam und sexuelle Versklavung zu verhindern.
Das Lied, in dem gesungen wird, dass „viele das Grab gewählt haben, weil unsere Mütter keine Sklaven geboren haben", wurde als Akt kultureller Tapferkeit in einer Ära des suizidalen politischen Korrektheitsdrucks und der selbstmörderischen Toleranz mit Applaus aufgenommen.
Die Türkei hat bereits offizielle Beschwerden gegen die kroatischen Interpreten eingereicht 🙃.
Via @ezramorshow
🇧🇴Bolivia:
⌛️Residency essentially free
💸Foreign income is tax-free, even if remitted
🙏Apply for citizenship after 3y (exam in Spanish)
BUT!
🕐Presence requirements are strict
🔫Wealth tax on fortunes over $4.3m
⚠️Grey-listed banking jurisdiction