World Cup fever? How different climates will affect performance

No matter who’s playing, the first game of a World Cup is always special – full of excitement, anticipation and hope for tournament filled with skills, goals and drama. This time, hosts Brazil take on a solid Croatian side in Sao Paulo, in a match suited to Brazilian flair and, most importantly, a glut of goals. Around 20 hours later, Mexico and Cameroon will jog out onto the pitch 1,400 miles north in Natal to begin their warm-up.

Despite the momentum created by the opening fixture, this game has the potential to be a flop – not because of the quality of the two teams but because of when and where they’re playing.