Excited for the World Cup? You’re not the only one. With Footall being the largest single sport in the world by far, the World Cup is arguably the biggest sporting event on the planet this side of the Olympics, and for good reason. First of all since it only happens every four years the build up to it is monumental. Some of the greatest players and teams will be competing over the next month, starting today and ending on July 13th, and we’re here to help you have one of the best months of the year if you’re a sporting fan.
10.) Xperia FIFA
Sony landed an exclusive FIFA contract, and so is providing Xperia owners with a way to customize their device with icons, wallpapers, lockscreens and more. This is only for Xperia owners though, so keep that in mind when getting excited about it.
9.) Adidas 2014 FIFA World Cup Live
Wallpaper Cellfish is a fantastic live wallpaper developer that often scores some huge contracts that range from not only FIFA to the NFL, but major motion pictures like Spiderman, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers and more. Cellfish makes some high quality 3D stuff that feels good enough to put even on your huge TV. The World Cup live wallpaper isn’t just pretty though, it’s functional, and includes a fun shooting mode that lets you score goals without having to navigate away from your home screen. Customize the ball, stadium, get live weather and more, and it’s free too!
8.) FIFA 14 by EA Sports
EA is a big name in the world of sports video games, and usually for good reason. FIFA 14 is the latest football game in the FIFA roster from EA and it doesn’t disappoint. Play best on a tablet just because of the sheer size of the device and create your own World Cup history.
7.) Pro Evolution Soccer Manager
Pro Evolution Soccer has always been more about managing your team than actively playing, which makes it unique in the sports world. Given how important team management is in sports, PES takes what you may think you know about sports video games and turns it on its head. You get to actively manage your teams, and taking stats into account is what will make you win. This is not about twitch mechanics, this is like an active fantasy league that you get to play out immediately.
6.) Google Now
Of course Google Now should be one of the first places you look for, well, anything! The World Cup is no exception, and Google Now actually just asked me this morning if I was interested in seeing the scores for the games, and now I’ve got a dedicated card that pops up around game time. Searching just for FIFA or World Cup in Google Now will pull up a detailed card that lets you switch between all the scheduled days, groups playing and the full bracket leading up to the ultimate winner. Google Now only works on devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and up, but since that’s about 80% of all active Android devices out there at this point you’re pretty likely to be already using Google’s excellent service as it is.
5.) SofaScore World Cup 2014 LIVE
SofaScore is a general sports app that lets you keep up with everything from American Football, proper football, NBA, Hockey, Rugby and just about every televised sport you can think of around the world. They’ve made a special free app for the World Cup, and it provides you with every bit as good of information as you would expect from a service like SofaScore. There’s even a handy widget to have on your home screen to keep up with what you’re looking for.
4.) Onefootball Brasil
Onefootball Brasil gives you live stats, scores and brackets, as well as being able to view videos too. Pre and post-game coverage is available as well as press conferences and interviews, giving you more than just the scores for your viewing experience.
3.) ESPN FC Soccer & World Cup
ESPN is a world leader of sports coverage, and their app pretty much lives up to what you would expect from them. ESPN is the official US carrier for anything FIFA related, including the World Cup, and gives you exclusive in-game and full-time highlights. Since this coverage is US only it doesn’t get top spot, but for everyone in the US this one offers some pretty excellent coverage and features for free.
2.) FIFA Official App
Where else should you go but the official FIFA app straight from the source? This app provides everything including videos and pictures, live blogs and scores for your viewing pleasure. Keep up on your favorite team’s progress when you’re anywhere for free!
1.) Univision Deportes
The top spot is given to Univision Deportes for one very huge reason: actual live broadcasts of the FIFA 2014 World Cup. Most apps just give you highlights or interviews, but the Univision Deportes app gives you everything you could possibly want. Quick score keeping, brackets, live coverage of all the World Cup games and more. This is the ultimate World Cup app, and the one everyone needs to have right now. The only downside? You’ve got to have a cable package with Univision included, but if you’re a sports fan you’ve probably already got this anyway.