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Swarms of bugs cause chaos for England and Tunisia at the World Cup

England bugs World Cup
Players, supporters, and reporters could all be seen struggling with swarms of bugs that had descended on Volgograd ahead of England and Tunisia's World Cup match. Clive Rose/Getty Images
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  • Bugs have taken over the World Cup match between England and Tunisia, with players and supporters alike being swarmed by flies and mosquitoes.
  • Before the match, players could be seen liberally applying bug spray in an effort to repel the annoying pests through the match.
  • Three more matches are scheduled to be held at the arena before the end of the World Cup.


England and Tunisia both faced an unexpected challenge ahead of their World Cup match on Monday: bugs.

Swarms of flies and mosquitoes appear to have taken a liking to the conditions in Volgograd, where the game is being held, leaving players, reporters, and supporters all struggling with the presence of the pests.

Even on Sunday night, reporters looking to shoot from the stadium were struggling to get through their segments.

Volgograd Arena is located right off of the Volga River, where rising water temperatures and low wind has apparently created something of a perfect storm for the bugs looking to bother the athletes on the pitch.

When it came time to get ready for the match, players could be seen swatting at the incessant insects, and applied bug spray liberally throughout their opening workouts.

Things weren't any better to start the second half.

World Cup bugs
FS1

Fans watching the match had to deal with the bugs as well. According to the Guardian, security measures that normally banned liquids had to be relaxed in order to accommodate fans with bug spray looking to make it through the game without getting eaten alive.

Three more games are scheduled to take place at Volgograd Arena before the World Cup comes to a close, withe the next match scheduled for June 22 between Iceland and Nigeria. Hopefully officials can figure out a way to better contain the bugs before the opening whistle.

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Tyler Lauletta is a sports reporter for Business Insider covering everything from the latest in NFL trades to the NBA playoff race to that weird rugby highlight you don't quite understand but know to be impressive. Hailing from Philadelphia, he is a known Truster of The Process. He graduated from Temple University. You can contact him at tlauletta@jkmperu.com with your questions, pitches, or if you ever feel like gloating after your favorite team beat the Philadelphia 76ers.