The World Cup is reaching its climax, with six matches scheduled every day until the end of the group stage, making watching the games almost a full-time job.
For Kevin Akoto and Austin Franklin, watching the games is their full-time job—each receives $50,000 (340,000 RMB, 1.58 million NTD) to watch all 104 matches of the World Cup.
The BBC met with the two men more than a week after they took up their posts as "Chief World Cup Watchers" on Fox One to learn about their experience.
Located in the center of Times Square in New York, the glass-enclosed viewing room, specially designed for them, is very eye-catching, allowing fans to watch what's happening inside through the glass.
It features a lounge chair, a matching brown leather sofa, two large TVs, and even a foosball table.
Click below to view the complete pre-match analysis from OpenScore.
Inside, there's also plenty of football merchandise and snacks, giving it a true fan-only feel. "It's like any 20-year-old's fantasy," Kevin told the BBC. "If you could put anything in here, this is what a football fan would put in." Kevin, a chef from Florida, and Austin, an online creator from Philadelphia, were chosen from thousands of applicants for the job. With several weeks left in their assignment, the two say they're trying to adjust. "I'm a little tired, and Austin is a little tired, so we're learning how to keep up with everything that's happening," Kevin said. Austin agrees, comparing the experience to summer camp where the days are starting to blend in. "It's been a marathon. It's a relatively easy job; I just sit on the couch watching football, but it's still tiring, so I make sure I get eight hours of sleep whenever I can." Fortunately, the job doesn't require them to sleep in the glass box in Times Square, so they can leave after work each day to rest and recharge for the next day. So far, the two have witnessed many historic moments. They enjoyed Argentinian barbecue while witnessing Lionel Messi break the all-time World Cup goalscoring record. Another perk of the job was the opportunity to sample cuisine from participating countries. Between matches, they also had the chance to interact with fans, such as the thousands of Brazilian fans who flocked to Times Square. This tourist hotspot has become a gathering place for World Cup visitors, including Norwegian fans who once performed their famous Viking rowing celebration there.
Norwegian fans performed a Viking rowing celebration in Times Square.
Austin said this was his favorite part—meeting fans from all over the world, talking to them about football, culture, and their views on America.
"The craziest thing is that I often forget that I'm in Times Square and that people are watching me."
“I might be focused on a game for 10 to 15 minutes, completely absorbed, and then I look to my right and see Qi Yun, and then I see people coming and going in Times Square, and you completely forget that you are actually in this environment.”
As for their predictions for the champion?
Kevin believes Spain will lift the World Cup trophy. However, due to his own background, he also supports the United States and Ghana.
Austin wore the Norwegian national team jersey. The reason wasn't personal, but rather because the Norwegian team and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland's performance so far has been impressive.
"It's easy to say that Spain or France will win. But I think Norway is very close. If everything goes well, I can totally imagine them taking the championship home."
However, onlookers have differing opinions on whether they would want this job.
Eimund Liland, a 52-year-old Norwegian football fan, and his 15-year-old daughter Camille believe that watching all 104 matches without any privacy might be a bit "excessive".
18-year-old Matthew Mendez told the BBC that he thinks watching the World Cup with friends or family would be a better experience.
But 20-year-old Miguel Sanchez finds it hard to believe how lucky they are.
"What? This is even better than going to the stadium in person."
"Someone is actually paying you to watch the World Cup, that's insane, absolutely insane."
