THE World Cup is about a week old and temperatures around the country have been dropping.

THE World Cup is about a week old and temperatures around the country have been dropping.

While players get onto the pitch dressed warmly, the McDonalds player escorts shiver.

The children, aged between six and 10, go onto the pitch wearing soccer shorts and long-sleeved T-shirts. There are 1408 player escorts.

Temperatures started to drop on Tuesday when Brazil played North Korea at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The players were kitted in gloves but the children were shivering. When Bafana Bafana lost to Uruguay on Wednesday the temperature was 3°C in Pretoria but the children were not warmly dressed.

McDonalds spokesperson Maredi Mogodi said: "The children have been given a kit bag with warm clothes but when they walk onto the pitch with their heroes, Fifa requires that they wear the soccer clothes.

"After spending seven minutes on the pitch they change into warm clothes, scarves, beanies and tracksuits."