As football fans around the world look forward to the FIFA World Cup While football fans are delighted by a month of excitement, employers are less enthusiastic about their employees being distracted by their daily dose of World Cup drama. 64 matches in about four weeks provide ample opportunity for distraction, especially if some of these games begin during regular working hours. And while casual fans may be content to watch the odd game, die-hard World Cup fans are ambitious to follow every match, whether the teams are Brazil and Germany, or Tunisia and Panama.

The potential impact of the FIFA World Cup on workplace productivity will largely depend on the time zone. While bosses in much of Asia and Australia can relax as games kick off at night, Brazilian employers should probably allow their staff a bit more slack over the next few weeks: because of the time difference, more than 60 hours of World Cup action will be played during normal working hours in Rio.