Two of the biggest soccer games ever to be played on American soil are set to be kicked off on weekday afternoons, much to the chagrin of local television audiences.
The North American World Cup semifinals begin Tuesday with France-Spain at 3pm EST from suburban Dallas followed by England-Argentina in Atlanta at the same time on Wednesday.
For three of the teams, those kickoffs will take place during prime time back in their native countries. But for Argentina fans, not to mention American television audiences, an early afternoon kickoff comes with some scheduling conflicts.
‘3pm start times for the World Cup semis in the middle of the week is not particularly ideal,’ read one of the more even-keeled responses on X.
‘One of the dumbest ideas to have these World Cup semifinals at 12pm on a Tuesday and Wednesday,’ a west coast fan complained.
A more sarcastic critic added: ‘I can’t wait to watch the World Cup semifinals that my country is hosting on a weekday in the middle of the afternoon.’
Spain’s Lamine Yamal trans at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas ahead of Tuesday’s semifinal
England’s Jude Bellingham will take the field in Atlanta on Wednesday to face rival Argentina
The early start also increases the risk of heat exhaustion in the Dallas area, where temperatures are expected to be in the 90s Fahrenheit (30s Celsius). Fortunately, the game in Atlanta will be played in the climate-controlled Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
‘Hottest time possible,’ one fan remarked about the France-Spain game on X.
In response, several others joked about the 2026 World Cup hydration breaks, which are perceived by fans as a flimsy excuse to add more commercials to broadcasts.
But not everyone was down on the 3pm EST kickoffs.
‘Just cause it’s in the US doesn’t mean the US is the core audience,’ read one comment, echoing an opinion shared by many others. ‘All these games will be prime time in Europe.’
Some Americans even preferred the early afternoon start times because it allows for families to watch together, provided the parents don’t have to be at work.
‘You realize that Primetime means absolutely nothing anymore,’ another fan wrote. ‘The advertising money is there, the audience is there. My family has enjoyed so much of this tournament together. Something we couldn’t do with the Knicks recent run because of games ending so late on the East Coast.’
Lionel Messi is returning to the World Cup semifinals four years after winning the tourney
As for traffic, the 3pm start times will help fans avoid rush hour traffic on the way to the event, but could complicate things after the game when workers will be driving home.
‘Those semifinals in Dallas and Atlanta being right before the start of rush hour on weekdays … surely will be appreciated by drivers in those cities where traffic is normally bad, especially Atlanta,’ read one possibly sarcastic comment.
But the majority of Americans commenters implored FIFA to adopt the NFL’s Super Bowl strategy of starting the games at 6:30pm EST.
As several noted, that time slot works for all of the Americas, even if it leaves European fans watching their favorite teams in the middle of the night.
