Welcome to a special World Cup edition of Hot Off The Wire. In this episode, Associated Press correspondent Ed Donahue moderates a conversation with Jon Gambrell, AP Gulf and Iran news director, and James Robson, AP global soccer correspondent.
The three discuss the last-minute decision to ban the sale of beer with alcohol at stadiums, concerns over human rights and the teams and players to watch as games get underway.
The episode was recorded just prior to the start of the tournament that kicked off Sunday with Ecuador's victory over host Qatar
—The Associated Press