NFL players make World Cup predictions, weigh in on USMNT

Editor's note: The United States opened up the World Cup with a dominant 4-1 win over Paraguay on Friday after this originally posted.

Say goodbye to American football for a few weeks. Say hello to real football, as most folks around the world would call it.

With the NFL soon wrapping up minicamps and preparing for its annual hiatus until training camps open in late July, the "footy" focus shifts to the FIFA World Cup, which began Thursday and will be played at sites across North America (including 11 NFL stadiums) through July 19.

Some NFL players have strong opinions on the World Cup and promise to be keen observers, even in-person spectators.