United States broadcaster FOX has sparked massive backlash after breaking a FIFA rule in the opening game of the World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.

The 2026 World Cup officially got underway on Thursday as Mexico took on South Africa at the Azteca Stadium.

It was the hosts that cruised to victory in a match that featured three red cards. South Africa duo Yaya Sithole and Themba Zwane, as well as Mexico’s Cesar Montes, were all sent off as the hosts won 2-0.

Football fans watching the match on FOX were not happy at all with the broadcaster for their coverage of the game, though.

FOX Break FIFA Rule During Mexico vs South Africa

Eloisa Sanchez via Reuters

Due to the high temperatures in North America for this World Cup, FIFA have instituted two mandatory, three-minute hydration breaks, which will take place in the middle of both halves.

FOX, the home of the World Cup in the United States, took the opportunity to go straight to commercials when the hydration breaks were called.

The broadcaster proceeded to show so many ads during the hydration break that it went over the allotted time. When FOX returned from their ad break, the match had already resumed and fans watching had missed a portion of the game because of the ads.

Football fans watching the match on FOX were, understandably, not very happy at all.

The Athletic’s Tom Bogert said: “All it took was literally the second hydration break for FOX to run too many commercials and miss some live action. Absolutely ridiculous conceit.​​​​​​”

While Paul Tenorio, also of the Athletic, said: Fox comes back late from its hydration break commercials. Unreal. Second break of the tournament, and we’re already missing live World Cup action. Brutal and embarrassing.”

A FIFA source revealed to the Athletic that broadcasters were told the ad break shouldn’t start within 20 seconds of the referee’s whistle pausing play, and that they should return to the match feed at least 30 seconds before play resumes.

FOX broke the rules in both halves.

How Other Broadcasters Covered the Hydration Break

Henry Romero via Reuters

In the United Kingdom, ITV did not cut away from the match and instead focused on the players with commentator insight. Australian and Danish broadcasters both stayed with the feed as well.

In Germany, Magenta TV went on a full ad break. While in Argentina, Telefé went to a full break, but DirecTV Sports stuck with the match feed.

Interestingly, Telemundo, the Spanish-language broadcast rights holder in the United States, did not cut away to commercials. They have insisted they will stay with the match feed throughout the tournament.

The World Cup continues on Friday, with Canada taking on Bosnia and Herzogovina, and United States going head-to-head with Paraguay.

Aston Villa are planning a push to sign a record-breaking Premier League striker this summer, as Sportsboom reports that Unai Emery is keen on adding a star who can help Ollie Watkins up front.

The Villans are preparing for a return to the Champions League, which comes with a busy schedule and a jump in quality from the Europa League that they won last season.

While there is a chance that Unai Emery could lose key players, as Morgan Rogers has been linked with an exit, the focus will be on bringing new players into the squad to strengthen further.

The midfield is a key area to consider after so many injuries there last season, but the forward line also appears to be under consideration for the summer transfer window, with an ambitious move being plotted.

Aston Villa Want Igor Thiago Move

As Aston Villa look into the striker market, Sportsboom reports that the side are interested in a move for Brentford striker Igor Thiago this summer.

It’s claimed that Emery has been keen on the Brazilian forward for some time, with a last-minute approach to sign the forward being turned down back in January.

The manager believes that Thiago would be an ideal option to complement Ollie Watkins up front, who has carried the weight of the centre-forward position for some time.

Not only would it lighten the goalscoring burden on the England international, but the skillset that the Brentford star possesses is viewed as ideal for a potential partnership.

Any deal could prove to be difficult, however, due to the Bees holding all the cards when it comes to the striker’s contract situation. Thiago signed a new contract earlier this season to reward him for his impressive form, with the new deal now taking his stay at the Gtech Stadium until 2031.

It remains to be seen whether any deal could be discussed between the two teams, though there may be other problems that come with such a move.

Aston Villa Striker Balance

A move for Thiago makes sense for many top teams, especially as the star striker broke the record for the most goals from a Brazilian in the Premier League in the past season.

His tally of 22 for the previous campaign was only bettered by Erling Haaland, while he brings plenty of energy and an ability to hold up the ball and bring others into play.

There are questions over how the balance may work between Thiago and Watkins if he joins, however, with a similar dynamic occurring between the England international and Jhon Duran a few seasons ago.

In the end, neither could co-exist in the same space, as Watkins was backed to stay and Duran ended up leaving the club for an opportunity elsewhere.

It remains to be seen how such a dynamic could work again this time around, but it would be a factor to consider with any deal.

Lewis Hamilton has provided a confused and awkward response to Kimi Antonelli and Kim Kardashian’s towel fiasco following the climax of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Antonelli, 19, became the youngest driver to win at the Principality last weekend, as he further extended his gap in the Drivers’ Championship to 66 points.

Despite the drama of Safety Cars and red flags, the teenager remained patient throughout, with Ferrari‘s Hamilton unable to apply any serious pressure. Despite not fighting for the win, it was another strong weekend for the seven-time champion, with back-to-back podiums, and now up to second in the standings.

However, despite a great Grand Prix, it was Kim Kardashian who made all the headlines, and mainly for the wrong reasons.

Kim Kardashian’s Headling-Stealing Appearance at Monaco GP

Jakub Porzycki via Reuters

The A-list celebrity attended her first race since going public with her relationship with the F1 legend, and if it wasn’t her pre-race actions going viral, it was her post-race actions.

After the podium ceremony, she was spotted taking a towel from Antonelli’s stand on the grid. Surprisingly, it’s a moment that has garnered plenty of attention, with Mercedes‘ TikTok posting a video of the Italian and teammate George Russell asking where the towel is.

Ahead of this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton was jokingly asked if he could help Antonelli look for his towel after he said he couldn’t find it during the press conference.

Lewis Hamilton Reacts to Mercedes’ Towel Video

The British driver awkwardly responded by saying: “His towel?” before adding, “I don’t really know anything about it, so… [Laughs].”

Who would have thought a towel would capture the headlines to this extent following an action-packed race around Monaco?

Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Resurgence

Aside from the glitz and the glamour that comes with dating in the public eye, Hamilton remains focused on the task at hand: finding a way to constantly win races.

Hamilton is currently on 90 points, and ahead of former Mercedes teammate Russell. He’s managed three podiums already this season, with many pundits and fans impressed by how motivated he still is.

Following last weekend’s qualifying, he talked to Jenson Button about how much he enjoyed pushing the limits around a track like Monaco.

“I gave it absolutely everything. I was as close to the barriers as I could be, and what a privilege it is to be here, to be one of the 22 drivers in F1 getting to do this still. I love every second of it.”