General view outside the Sydney Football Stadium ahead of the Women’s World Cup. (Photo by CARL RECINE / Reuters)
Civil servants in Brazil will not have to worry about being late for work because of the Women’s World Cup after a government minister announced a change to office hours to let them catch the action in Australia and New Zealand.
With Brazil’s group stage matches in Australia being broadcast in the early hours of the morning back home, minister of management Esther Dweck has told civil servants they can report for duty up to two hours after the final whistle.
“On days when the games are held at 7:30 a.m., the working hours will start at 11 a.m. Brasilia time,” an ordinance read. “On days when the games are held at 8 a.m., the working hours will start at 12 p.m. Brasilia time.”
Brazil have won a record eight Copa America Femenina titles but their best finish at a Women’s World Cup was in 2007 when they lost to Germany in the final.
Brazil are in Group F and begin their campaign on Monday against Panama in Adelaide before taking on France in Brisbane and Jamaica in Melbourne.
Mental health
Meanwhile, the United States brought the issue of mental well-being to the fore at the Women’s World Cup on Wednesday by announcing the launch of a new initiative for underserved communities after the tournament.
The project in collaboration with nonprofit Common Goal was announced as part of US defender Naomi Girma’s emotional Players’ Tribune post remembering her Stanford University teammate Katie Meyer, who died by suicide in March 2022.
“Any time I talk about Katie it’s obviously emotional, and then just with everything coming out today, it kind of brings all those feelings back to the surface,” said forward Sophia Smith, who also played at Stanford.
“Everything that we do is now for Katie.”
‘Long overdue’
The Common Goal initiative will provide mental health training to coaches from more than 15 youth sports organizations, focusing on issues, including anxiety, depression, and loneliness, after the World Cup.
The United States is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive title, and fifth overall, at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, kicking off their campaign on Saturday against Vietnam.
The American soccer players are the latest athletes to take up the cause of mental health after Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles and four-times tennis major winner Naomi Osaka helped flip the narrative on a topic once seen as taboo in high-level sport.