32 teams represent their home countries for a chance to win the title of World Champion soccer (or football) players over the course of a month. There will be millions of heartbreaks in 31 nations because there can only be one victor. But who will it be? You’ll have to follow along to find out.
According to FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the soccer World Cup is the most viewed sporting event on the planet. It is expected to attract more spectators than last year’s Super Bowl, but I’m not just referring to the television viewership. Social media has played a large role in helping fans across the globe connect with what’s happening minute-by-minute in Brazil as the teams compete for the ultimate title.
Where can you get the latest updates you might ask? Why, Facebook and Twitter of course! Both social media giants have pulled out all of the stops to get people the most timely, relevant information no matter where they are around the world. Each has created their own media center to gather information.
1. Trending World Cup – Here you can get the latest information on everything you need to know from goals to matches and stories from others. There is a calendar that is displayed in the top right corner of the site that updates in real time with announcements from the live matches.
2. Facebook Ref – This middle aged, public figure’s purpose is to provide the community with updates and commentary on the games. Fans are encouraged to engage with the “official game referee” as he gives input on the games.
World Cup 2014 – Easy access to all of the in-the-moment updates about anything and everything surrounding the events. There is a game calendar visible on your home timeline to the right of your scene so you can keep up-to-date with live and upcoming matches. Want to only follow a specific game? No problem, you’ve got the ability to filter it down to only get updates about that particular game. And don’t forget to follow popular hash tags like #WorldCup and #USAvsGER (can be used for any of the matches). Twitter even lends you a hand to keep you connected with the conversation by auto generating the hash tag #WorldCup when you use the Tweet engine from the control center.
This month-long spectacle only happens every four years. So much happens it’s hard to keep up with it all, but thankfully Facebook and Twitter were ready for the fandom and anticipated the need for people to be in-the-know. Now that you are aware of the tools available to you, how do you plan to stay connected during the 2014 World Cup?