The World Cup is the crown jewel in the sporting cycle, yet it feels this edition has lost some of its shine. You can point the finger at football fatigue, FIFA's lame governance, fans being locked out of games and the overall debilitating stench of Trump over proceedings as possible reasons for a general malaise being felt by die-hard football fans ahead of this year's tournament. WC 2026 has so far been overshadowed by talking points off the field, but with Mexico and South Africa kicking off at 8pm Thursday night, we'll soon forget all our troubles and relish this opiate of the masses. Sweden vs Tunisia at 3am on a Monday? Unreal. The mighty Austria vs Jordan at 5am? Ideal for us early risers! Let's hope the magic comes back in some form and fans all over the world enjoy this special spectacle, but we remain skeptical.