Expect Bleary Eyes and Lots of Calling in Sick: The World Cup Has Begun for Beijingers

Expect lots of bleary eyes and people calling in sick this morning. No, they weren't up late studying for the gaokao: the FIFA World Cup has started, with the opening match finishing up as dawn rose over Beijing this morning.

Yes, it's World Cup season planet-wide, and in football-mad Beijing we get the benefit of having almost all of the matches starting between midnight and 6am China time.

The Cup kicked off this morning at 4am local time, with Brazil downing Croatia in the first match, 3-1 and fans clogging bars and other venues across the city.

The nocturnal schedule continues throughout the month-long tourney right through the final (July 14 at 3am Beijing time), with almost all matches taking place in Beijing's small hours.

For a full rundown on where to watch the 2014 World Cup in Beijing, check our comprehensive list here.

And here's the upcoming action this weekend (all times are local Beijing times):

Friday Night / Saturday Morning

-- Midnight: Mexico vs Cameroon
-- 3am: Spain vs Netherlands (a rematch of 2010's World Cup final)
-- 6am: Chile vs Australia

Saturday Night / Sunday Morning

-- Midnight: Columbia vs Greece
-- 3am: Uruguay vs Costa Rica
-- 6am: England vs Italy
-- 9am: Ivory Coast vs Japan

Sunday Night / Monday Morning

-- Midnight: Switzerland vs Ecuador
-- 3am: France vs Honduras
-- 6am: Argentina vs Bosnia-Hezegovenia