Reports from Chinese news agency Xinhua have claimed that a Chinese soccer fan's death was caused by staying up overnight to watch World Cup matches.

The Chinese fan was found dead in front of his TV in the Eastern city of Suzhou on Saturday morning.

Doctors suspect that his death was related to staying up throughout the night to watch World Cup matches live, with a heart attack also seen as a potential factor.

The timing of matches is an issue for fans in China as there is an 11 hour difference between Suzhou and Brazil.

It means that football fans must stay up overnight to be able to watch matches.