The World Cup makes soccer fans out of the least expected among us. Go to a bar, and you’ll see a variety of people, from diverse ages and cultures passionately cheering for a country they may have never even visited. That doesn’t mean their fervor for the World Cup is any less true. Each game is like an excellent movie, with twists and turns, low points and high, action and drama, and often a surprising ending. It’s no wonder it pulls so many unlikely audience members. For soccer fans (new or old), here are a few Twitter accounts to enhance your World Cup experience.
Today’s #worldcup results: #COL 2-1 #CIV#COLCIV#URU 2-1 #ENG#URUENG#JPN 0-0 #GRE#JPNGRE
— FIFAWorldCup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 20, 2014
1. FIFAWorldCup – @FIFAWorldCup
Twitter Bio: Updates from Brazil provided by the Official Site of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Followers: 2.02M
Need for Feed: FIFA World Cup is a great place to start for those watching the FIFA World Cup. It gives up-to-date, official news on all the games and players.
Greece replaces Giannis Fetfatzidis with Giorgos Karagounis, earning them 180 points thanks to the triple word score tile #WorldCup2014
— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) June 19, 2014
2. Chat Sports – @ChatSports
Twitter Bio: Sports news from all your favorite publications, perfectly formatted for mobile. Download our five-star rated iPhone app now: http://bit.ly/1fJPBTb
Followers: 11.8K
Need for Feed: For the most interesting re-tweets by soccer players and topical conversations, look no further than Chat Sports.
0 – No team has ever lost their opening two games at the #WorldCup and advanced from the group. Miracle.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 19, 2014
3. OptaJoe – @OptaJoe
Twitter Bio: 1 – The official Twitter page for Opta Sports’ football coverage. An official member of the Opta Twitter family. Illuminating.
Followers: 543K
Need for Feed: Soccer aficionados love statistics, and it’s useful to keep toe to toe with them if someone slips the statistics straight to your phone.
Check out this AFC AJAX ACADEMY PRACTICE: ‘4 v 4 (+1) Corner To Corner Possession Exercise’ http://t.co/gi1s68lj3cpic.twitter.com/K36zZaq0mX
— SoccerTutor.com (@soccertutorcom) June 19, 2014
4. SoccerTutor.com – @soccertutorcom
Twitter Bio: The Web’s #1 Soccer Coaching Company Since 2001. Books-eBooks-Videos-Software-Apps. Also Visit Coach George’s Blog – http://soccer-coaching-blog.soccertutor.com
Followers: 6,895
Need for Feed: For the fans who love the strategy and tactics, Soccer Tutor discusses training, techniques and moves used in the games.
Wayne Rooney‘s family should be happy that he scored his first World Cup goal. And that they can afford to fly by private jet
— Andrew Collins (@AndrewCollins) June 19, 2014
5. Andrew Collins – @AndrewCollins
Twitter Bio: Scriptwriter (Not Going Out; Mr Blue Sky; Grass), script editor (Badults, Drifters), critic (Telly Addict), socialist, cat lover, blogger. Also: @CirclesThe143
Followers: 42.6K
Need for Feed: Writer Andrew Collins brings his dry humor to all forms of his engaging writing, and his favorite sport, soccer, is no exception. Follow him for a good mix of laughter, skepticism and keen soccer insight.
World Cup Preview: 10 Things You Need to Know About Croatia http://t.co/Wnab3vORPCpic.twitter.com/1rP6PZZw9J
— Paste Soccer (@PasteSoccer) June 6, 2014
6. Paste Soccer – @PasteSoccer
Twitter Bio: PasteSoccer.com is a new site for great writing about the beautiful game. Soccer coverage from Paste Magazine.
Followers: 253
Need for Feed: Paste is so dedicated to the World Cup, it opened a new section on the website for it. Follow @PasteSoccer for excellent lists about cultural facts and soccer history, galleries about soccer design, and advice on how to drink properly during the World Cup.
1-0 pic.twitter.com/e4PDAGJo4o
— Futbol Pictures (@FutbolPictures) June 18, 2014
7. Futbol Pictures – @FutbolPictures
Twitter Bio: Bringing you the best and latest photos from every league around the world. Instagram futbolpicturess. Vine Futbol Pictures.
Followers: 4,981
Need for Feed: Not everyone has the time or the money to travel to Brazil to see the games live (insert sad, weepy face here). But with lightspeed technology and gorgeous photography, visual moments of the game can be brought instantly to your phone.
ENGLAND whatchu gon do??!
— Rihanna (@rihanna) June 19, 2014
8. Rihanna – @rihanna
Twitter Bio: WHAT NOW on VEVO! CLICK here to WATCH —-http://vevo.ly/OHc0d2 , new album out now worldwidehttp://smarturl.it/UnapologeticDlx
Followers: 35.8M
Need for Feed: Rihanna is very vocal about soccer. More than commenting, she is a big smack talker, making her feed a fun one to follow. If you want to see how dedicated she is to soccer, check out her twitter profile pic!
If we beat Costa Rica i want a kiss,obviously on the cheek, from the UK Queen.????????????.
— Mario Balotelli (@FinallyMario) June 19, 2014
9. Mario Balotelli – @FinallyMario
Twitter Bio: Official twitter page for Mario Balotelli! AC Milan & Italia striker Don’t believe anything you read about me unless is coming from here
Followers: 2.39M
Need for Feed: Super Mario is not only one of the greatest soccer players around, he is also incredibly charismatic, and it shows on his twitter feed. Also, if you’re interested in learning Italian, he often tweets in his native tongue.
.@adidasUK This is my game face. #allinpic.twitter.com/MdbgdXUrwM
— brazuca (@brazuca) June 19, 2014
10. brazuca – @brazuca
Twitter Bio: I’m @brazuca. The official match ball of the 2014 FIFA #WorldCup. I tweet in English & Portuguese. Love me or lose me! Oh, and follow me. #ballin
Followers: 1.75M
Need for Feed: Inanimate twitter feeds can be some of the most interesting and animated to follow. Always at the center of the game, Brazuca is the official World Cup Ball this year, and sees the action closer up than any reporter, or even player. Brazil is represented on the ball’s colorful design. For past World Cup balls, check out our gallery.
There you have it—a drop from an ocean (or at least a sizable lake) of good Twitter feeds for World Cup Fans. How about you, Paste readers … what are some other good Twitter feeds for people who love to watch soccer?