Forty-four of the 104 World Cup games are being played between midnight and 5am UK time. For Australian fans, football and sleep deprivation go hand-in-hand. Now, UK viewers face the same challenge. Here is a guide from a long-suffering Australian fan.
The Reality of Late-Night Football
Two years ago, as I prepared for the birth of my first child, a friend offered sage advice: many sleepless nights were ahead. But there was a silver lining: European football. I have been a football fan for as long as I can remember, but never have I watched so much. I managed every minute of Liverpool's title-winning Premier League campaign. The entire continent opened up to me—Celtic at St Mirren, Aberdeen, St Pauli at home. In one grim period of sleep regression, I turned to the Conference League for salvation.
This is the lot of Australian football fans. The waking weekend hours are a haze, and Mondays require four coffees. We gamble more on those 90 minutes. A scoreless stalemate is especially frustrating when it leaves you functionally impaired for 24 hours.
The Tables Turn for UK Fans
Now, Australians enjoy relative bliss, while the shoe is on the other foot in the UK. This World Cup, held in Canada, Mexico, and the US, gives England fans manageable group-stage fixtures. But Scotland fans face a 2am kick-off right off the bat. Others face midnight and 3am starts. Forty-four of 104 games are between midnight and 5am UK time.
I offer the wisdom of football fans born on the wrong side of the planet. We have tried every approach you are contemplating.
Avoid the Boozy All-Nighter
In pre-World Cup euphoria, you might think a boozy all-nighter with mates will get you to that 2am kick-off. Maybe you believe you can sleep one or two hours post-match and still work. It works in your 20s, but if you are approaching 40, you are sentencing yourself to a week from hell. Remember: your ability to call in sick without suspicion is inversely related to the game's significance. Pull an all-nighter for Curaçao-Ecuador? Your boss won't blink. England in the round of 32 with a midnight kick-off? Expect a call from HR.
Don't Rely on Delayed Viewing
Your next thought is to sleep through, avoid the score, and watch an 8am replay. Push notifications and group chats will ruin that. Turn your phone off and put it in a drawer. Silent mode will not help. Your smartphone addiction will lead you to Facebook or Instagram. The algorithm knows you. Your feed will be flooded with the score before your thumb hits the lock button. I learned this after the Champions League final in May, which was a 2am kick-off on Australia's east coast.
If you watch matches on delay, suspend normal human interaction. Speak to no one, ignore neighbours, ghost your significant other. If you go outside, do not wear your team's strip or any football merch. Strangers cannot be trusted. Even if they don't blurt out the result, they will communicate it. A dog-walker's nod might mean you are through after penalties. A barista avoiding eye contact might mean you are out in the quarters.
The Best Strategy: Early Bed and Alarm
The safest approach is to go to bed early, sleep, and wake up just before the 2am kick-off. But there are risks. Waking to a 1.30am alarm is hard enough. Doing it to walk 10 metres to your couch is something your brain will resist. For the unpractised, set multiple alarms at 10-minute intervals from 1am. Do not worry about volume; your partner will understand.
Do not get too comfortable on the couch or sit in the dark. Bright lights are your friend. Sensory overload is for the morning. If your eyelids droop, you are done—destined to wake up post-match and see the score. The whole exercise will be in vain.
Wear It as a Badge of Honour
Finally, wear these early-morning wake-ups as a badge of honour. They make you a better fan than everyone else. At least, that is what we tell ourselves down under. There is no other way to justify this unique self-torture.
