The wider World Cup update package is intended to help fans navigate traffic, road closures, pedestrian zones and public transport around host cities. Those tools have a clear journey-related purpose.
Score notifications are different. The report says the feature was described as a quick way to check results when a car is stopped, yet some users have seen alerts during a journey. A football update that might be welcome on a sofa can be intrusive behind the wheel.
The risk is not limited to the time spent reading the score. A large pop-up can obscure navigation information at the moment drivers need it most.
One shared image reportedly showed a score alert covering a significant section of the display while the speedometer read 15mph. That detail has sharpened complaints that the notifications are not consistently restricted to stationary vehicles.
The reaction also extends beyond supporters who want to avoid spoilers. Some football fans have objected to receiving a non-navigation alert without clearly choosing to activate it. For a tournament followed across every device, control over when and where scores appear matters almost as much as the update itself.
The report says users who do not want the pop-ups can disable the feature in Waze settings. That offers a practical solution, although it places the responsibility on drivers to find and change the setting before travelling.
As the World Cup continues, the next test will be whether score alerts remain limited to stopped vehicles and whether future versions make opt-in choices clearer. Navigation should reduce pressure on drivers, not add another reason to look away from the road.