14 DAY TRIAL // There are mere hours before the World Cup kicks off on Thursday and the world is getting ready for the sporting event. The Internet, as well, is preparing for the onslaught of fans supporting their team.
Facebook, for instance, has launched a special hub for football fans, where they can keep in touch with all the news and updates from the 2014 World Cup.
The hub is full of shared links, comes with an interactive map showing where fans of some of the teams come from, as well as information about the teams that are next to play. There’s even an “upcoming match” where you’ll be able to see the score.
Beginning on Thursday, as the event starts, you’ll be able to share specific details about the match you’re watching during the World Cup. All you’ll have to do is tap the smiley icon beneath the post and select “watching.”
Another page, dubbed “Facebook Ref” will offer commentary about the matches and updates.
Not to be left behind, Twitter has also put in the extra work this year to attract football fans from all over the world. While the company can’t do much more than help promote some hashtags related to the event, Twitter did launch a video ad, urging people to use the platform during the next few weeks.
The video titled “#WorldCup on Twitter: Love every second” puts focus on fans enjoying the sport, cheering for their teams and kids playing football, all the while having a reason to tweet.
The social network has also created a special page where football fans can go and vote for their country, which automatically generates a tweet with the country’s soccer team handle and the appropriate hashtag.
Google has also prepared for the event. On top of prompting Google Now users about enabling cards about sport events and having them pick a team they support, Google Glass users will also receive notifications as the matches take place.
By googling “world cup 2014” and related topics, you’ll also see a knowledge graph that lets you know what games are to take place soon. You can browse through the dates in the calendar and see which teams are going to battle on the field.
There’s also the possibility of checking out the World Cups’s groups and view all the points that each team manages to obtain, as well as a chart with the stages of the event. When checking out matches, you can click on one of them and see more detailed information. For instance, you’ll be able to view the lineups before the match starts, and check out stats as the teams face each other.
